At exactly ten o'clock, Bao Ruanruan removed her makeup, changed back into her rose-red lucky pullover, and put on her sunglasses, mask, and hat.
Then off she went!
Her destination: an inspection of the first food-related brand that had extended an olive branch to her—ZhiZhi Milk Tea.
Chen Feng couldn't understand her decision at all. "We actually have other options. I can find some research data for you to review, and right now, I can even arrange for you to take an acting class to prepare for future auditions."
"No. Food safety is a major issue threatening human health—it's a matter of life and death."
Bao Ruanruan raised her fair, slender index finger and shook it gently.
"As for acting, it's never too late to learn."
"Let's go! Let me find the nearest ZhiZhi Milk Tea shop!"
She pulled out her phone and searched.
"Oh, there's one just 500 metres away. Cross the pedestrian bridge, and it's within walking distance. Not bad—let's go with this one."
"It's good exercise, and there's no risk of car trouble or accidents."
"Let's go!"
Chen Feng: "......"
Xiao Baozi, do you even remember that you're live-streaming?
[Hahahaha, oh my God!]
[Casual viewers, step aside! We're in for a show!]
[Mighty—valiant—Bao, the Safety Inspector, upright and honourable, is online!]
[We humbly welcome Lord Bao on an undercover inspection tour.]
[@Pengmai, your ad can wait! I need to see the food safety standards of ZhiZhi Milk Tea first! No time for you!]
The live stream chat was buzzing with excitement.
Chen Feng assumed that Bao Ruanruan's antics would decrease the number of viewers, as she had completely deviated from the stream's theme —Celebrities Behind the Scenes.
After all, what kind of celebrity would randomly decide to inspect the food safety of a brand she would endorse?
And did she even know what to look for?
Professional institutions would send milk tea to a laboratory for specialised testing to check that various food safety indicators met standards.
How could she tell just by looking?
No business would openly display questionable raw materials on the counter for customers to see.
Chen Feng sighed.
But then, out of curiosity, he glanced at the live stream stats.
"!"
The number of viewers had skyrocketed to eight million!
More than when they filmed the advertisement!
Chen Feng was stunned.
"This should be the place, right?"
Bao Ruanruan half pulled down her sunglasses and looked up at the golden logo sign of the shop.
Chen Feng, who was holding the live-streaming phone, immediately followed.
"Yes. ZhiZhi Milk Tea has 12 locations in Jiangcheng. Each is strategically placed in the busiest shopping districts and department stores."
Even before they got closer, they could see a small queue of three or four people at the entrance—even though it was only 10 a.m., just after opening time.
Inside, several people were already waiting for their orders.
"Every store has a queue. During peak hours, the wait can be more than an hour," Chen Feng, who was familiar with the brand's reputation, explained to Bao Ruanruan. "It's one of the top beverage brands right now, with a market valuation of 3.5 billion."
[Wow, this manager really knows his stuff!]
[Bao Bao's manager is reliable! Mom can rest easy now.]
"Mmm, I can already smell the milky aroma. A little sweet."
Bao Ruanruan took a deep breath and joined the queue with Chen Feng at the back.
She curiously observed the customers leaving the store with their drinks.
Everyone seemed to be sipping happily, some even carrying four or six cups at a time.
Bao Ruanruan pursed her slightly dry, pink lips.
She reached into her small bag, pulled out a thermos, and took a sip of her ginger tea.
Her period was approaching.
Physically and mentally, she craved something warm and sweet.
Denying herself for too long wouldn't be good for her health either.
"This looks promising." Her eyes sparkled behind her sunglasses.
[Hehe, I just had a cup of ZhiZhi Milk Tea yesterday. It was delicious but expensive—30 yuan a cup!]
[ZhiZhi's quality is legit. I once tried to recreate their cheese foam tea at home using imported Anko cheese, Earl Grey tea bags, and Nestlé milk... The result tasted almost identical to theirs. So yeah, 30 yuan is expensive, but they don't skimp on the ingredients—it's the real deal.]
[Exactly. The whole brand is built on premium ingredients—Bao Bao, you can rest assured about this endorsement.]
[I hear their cheese is the second best in the world.]
[So quality control is solid? I guess I'll grab a cup after work~~~]
[Justice Bao🔗 : I've returned empty-handed (crying in frustration).]🦊
[Hehe~ Bao Bao, stop resisting and just buy a cup!]
As the live chat scrolled, donations began to pour in.
They were all tagged with #FundsForOurGirlToDrinkMilkTea#...
But instead of staying in line, Bao Ruanruan stepped away and went straight into the store.
The comments section exploded with question marks.
"What's wrong?" Chen Feng was also confused. "Do you want to check the menu?"
"No."
With her hands clasped behind her back, Bao Ruanruan strolled into the shop like a supervisor on an inspection tour.
"I just want to take a look inside."
Take a look at what?
"We can buy the drinks and leave. No need to sit inside." Chen Feng hurried after her.
"You're a celebrity now. Even if your fan base isn't that big, it's better not to sit in—"
Before he could finish, the phone in his hand caught a glimpse of Bao Ruanruan's slender figure moving towards a bright yellow wall inside the shop.
She stopped in her tracks.
As she lifted her delicate swan-like neck, her jet-black ponytail swayed slightly.
Then, she raised a slender, fair index finger and pointed gently at the ceiling.
Chen Feng: "? What, you want to sit on the second floor?"
"No, come here. Look up like me."
"?"
"What do you see?"
"Er... the air conditioning vent?"
"Look more carefully."
"?"
Bao Ruanruan sighed.
"That's a dust-covered air vent."
"!"
Chen Feng's mouth fell open.
That was definitely not what he was expecting.
However, when he looked up, he actually saw dust accumulating in the four corners of the ceiling vent.
This dust had piled up so much that it had already turned black.
It stood out a little against the white grill of the vent.
But it was also hardly noticeable.
Most people wouldn't usually look up.
[? Let me take a look.]
[How much dust is there?]
[Hey, manager, help the live stream viewers! Don't just check for yourself!]
Chen Feng had forgotten entirely about the livestream.
However, Bao Ruanruan had already sat at the tea table right under the vent.
Cheng Feng immediately followed suit.
He then placed the phone on the table.
Subsequently, he adjusted the focus of the camera.
The lens tilted upwards, capturing the ceiling.
[Ah, there really is dust!]
[But isn't that normal?]
Bao Ruanruan sat directly beneath the vent.
She stretched out her hands and pretended to hold a cup of milk tea.
"If you sit below and drink, the dust from the vent could blow into your cup."
"Even though there's a lid, the straw opening is still exposed. Plus, if the vents above the drink prep area are also dusty, then all the ingredients..."
[!!!]
[Oh sh*t!]
[...My milk tea suddenly doesn't taste so good.]
Bao Ruanruan sighed. "I was really looking forward to having a cup."
Regretfully, she stood up, her clear eyes drifting towards the busy staff in the drink preparation area.
Her serious and slightly mysterious expression made Chen Feng instinctively stand up as well.
He picked up his livestream phone and aimed it at the prep area.
"Have you seen dust again? Where?"
[Where?! Hold the phone still; give us a better angle!]
[Ugh, at this angle, I can only see a staff member adding ingredients. Ruanruan, what did you see?!]
Soon, Bao Ruanruan's soft but conflicted voice, tinged with disappointment, rang out.
"Why aren't they wearing hats?"
"!"
[!!!]
"A normal person sheds 50-100 hairs per day. There are five staff members in the prep area, so that's 250–500 hairs a day."
"If they work for eight hours, then the number of hairs that fall into the drink while in the prep area would be..."
[Crap, crap, crap, 500 divided by 24 and then multiplied by 8? Oh God, I can't do the maths—I just remembered I drank ZhiZhi last night!]
[I want to cry! The answer is 83.3–166.7 hairs falling into the prep area.]
[That many? If you grab them all, isn't that a whole handful?!]
[Whoever said 'a handful'—don't leave after school! I can even picture it now!]
"Sigh," Bao Ruanruan let out a heavy sigh. "I was really looking forward to indulging myself with a warm drink."
Chen Feng's mouth twitched. "Shall we go?"
If they didn't leave now, he was afraid ZhiZhi Milk Tea—the very brand that had extended an olive branch—would come after them.
It would be a livestream disaster.
No, this was ZhiZhi Milk Tea disaster.
It's over.
It's over for ZhiZhi Milk Tea.
And to think—just three days ago, Brother Xue had acquired a competing milk tea brand.
They just wanted ZhiZhi to lose.
But Xiao Baozi—she wanted them dead.
Who would've thought?
Savage.
Xiao Baozi was the real savage one here.
Even Brother Xue would have to step aside.
Chen Feng was about to leave, but when he turned around, he saw Bao Ruanruan still standing there, watching with great interest.
"Xiao Baozi? You've seen enough, haven't you…"
"Mhm, I've seen enough. A staff member is not wearing a hat, a girl answered a phone call and then started making drinks without washing her hands—directly touching the rim of the cup."
"Also, a piece of watermelon fell off the cutting board, and she just picked it up and kept slicing it. And earlier, a fly landed right there."
[?]
[Yuck!]
"Huh? Their hot water system—what kind of equipment is that? Is that the hot tea dispenser? There's a limescale build-up."
[!!!]
[Does limescale matter? Isn't that normal? I have it at home, too.]
"That's enough." Chen Feng looked at Bao Ruanruan as if pleading with her.
Please, stop, kid.
But Bao Ruanruan shook her head. "No, it's not enough. Limescale contains lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. Long-term intake of heavy metals can lead to poisoning and is one of the main causes of kidney stones."
Chen Feng: "......!"
[I'm running to check my own kitchen right now!]
[+1]
"So, no—it's not okay."
Bao Ruanruan concluded with a heavy heart.
"I can't drink milk tea today."
"And I can't take this endorsement job either."
"I wouldn't even take a single sip for the commercial."
"Uh, Xiao Baozi… I think we should go."
Chen Feng didn't hesitate this time—he cut her off and grabbed her backpack strap.
If ZhiZhi Milk Tea's people came after them…
He feared they wouldn't be able to walk out in one piece!
"All right, let's head home. I'll make my own milk tea~"
With her hands clasped behind her back, Bao Ruanruan casually strolled out of ZhiZhi Milk Tea, like a superior who had just completed an inspection—
And declared her subordinates unfit for duty.
Brutal.
"Brothers Feng, what's wrong?"
Outside the shop, Bao Ruanruan turned to Chen Feng, confused by his awkward expression.
"Did I do something wrong?"
[Pfft pfft pfft, our girl, nothing's wrong. You just wiped out your major sponsor.]
[Speaking for myself, I won't be drinking ZhiZhi Milk Tea anymore. It's 30 yuan a cup—one of the most expensive milk teas out there. I always thought the quality control would be good, but... it turns out it's no better than the 12-yuan ones. If it's all unhealthy, I might as well save my money!]
[Help, I'm quitting too.]
[Oh no, I even bought a membership card—help! I can't use it anymore!]
[I used to buy a cup every week. I'm crying, sisters! ZhiZhi Milk Tea has betrayed me!]
[Sigh. Once again, I've been fooled. I actually believed that high price = high quality. What a joke.]
[I could put up with the dust, the limescale, even the stray hairs. But the dropped watermelon getting picked up and used??? I'M OUT. Never drinking this again!]
The chat kept scrolling.
Everyone was utterly shocked.
[LMAO, I was just saying that Justice Bao would return empty-handed. Turns out... I was the fool all along. (doge emoji)]
[The moment Bao Bao makes a move, you'll know if it's legit or not!]
[I know a daily livestream like this isn't possible, but can we at least get one per week? Besides milk tea, I still have to eat spicy gluten snacks, snail noodles, chips, chicken feet, dried plums, cola... Bao Bao, please continue to be our food safety inspector!]
Bao Ruanruan had no idea of the overwhelming requests from her audience.
She always focused on the road as she walked and never looked at her phone.
But Chen Feng saw them.
He saw the flood of messages from the livestream viewers and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
And in the next second—he couldn't even cry.
"Huh? There's another milk tea shop here... Hot Peach Romance?"
Around the corner, a milk tea shop caught Bao Ruanruan's eye.
One glance at the pastel peach-coloured storefront and the glowing sign, without even looking at the name, Chen Feng knew this was the milk tea brand Brother Xue had just acquired!
At the moment, its market share was extremely low.
But Brother Xue had faith in the shop's founder, an art school graduate who started the brand a year ago just to impress a girl.
Everything was tailored to that girl's love for peach-flavoured drinks, from the store name to the logo design, from the interior decor to the menu.
Every chair and table embodied the cosy, sweet future he imagined with her.
Every drink cup featured his hand-drawn illustrations.
Each hid a little secret—his silent devotion to her passion.
However, due to years of financial constraints and a lack of strong marketing, this store remained relatively unknown among the 63 milk tea brands in Jiangcheng, attracting just enough customers to break even.
This was their only shop in the city centre.
All the others were in the suburbs.
Brother Xue had personally secured this investment.
Chen Feng had been busy with other things for the past two days, but even so, he still held a 15% stake in their studio.
This meant to round up that he was a shareholder in Hot Peach Romance!
Its success was his success.
Its downfall was his downfall.
"Sis... Sis Bao... can we just go home?"
Chen Feng was on the verge of tears.
He had no idea how to explain this to Brother Xue when he returned to Beijing.
—This was shocking! Their little artist had taken down the competition and now wanted to destroy their own brand!
—Absolutely terrifying.
Brother Xue was probably going to beat him up.
But just as he was about to panic, Bao Ruanruan casually waved her hand.
"I'm just looking around. I might not even buy anything. Don't worry."
There was no way he could not worry!
Chen Feng tensed up hard.
[Haha, yes! Justice Bao, investigate it for me! I want to see if all these milk tea shops are this unreliable!]
[Honestly, all food places are like this. That's why I bring my own meals every day.]
[Exactly. If even a 30 yuan-a-cup brand like ZhiZhi is like this... what are the chances of a no-name brand like Hot Peach Romance being any better?]
[D*mn, does this mean I can drink ZhiZhi again? Because the other brands might be even dirtier? This is literally choosing the tallest dwarf.]
[Dust and limescale—I bet every single milk tea shop has them.]
But Bao Ruanruan still stepped inside, and Chen Feng had no choice but to follow.
"Huh?" she suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
Chen Feng almost fell to his knees.
"W-what is it... Is there dust?"
It's over. It's all over.
He might as well call Brother Xue to come back overnight.
"This place is cleaner than the last one."
Chen Feng: "!?"
"Brother Feng, look! The staff members are all wearing hats and masks. Oh, and look, when they take a phone call, they take off their disposable gloves and put on a fresh pair afterwards..."
Bao Ruanruan's eyes were filled with admiration.
Chen Feng let out a sound as if he had just stepped into paradise.
And then—
"I only have one question left."
Bao Ruanruan stepped forward.
Chen Feng flinched.
She stopped at the glass partition separating the beverage prep area, her clear eyes blinking as they reflected the bright lights.
"Brother Feng, do you think they'd be interested in hiring me as their brand ambassador?"
"!"
[HAHAHAHAHA!]
[LOL, Xiao Bao is literally asking for an endorsement deal!]
[This place actually got Justice Bao's approval?! I looked it up, but there's no such shop in my city... I'm crying!]
Chen Feng let out a sigh of relief and followed along.
As soon as they got closer, the clean and tidy drink prep area appeared on the live stream.
The staff at Hot Peach Romance were all dressed in uniform—black shirts, pastel pink aprons embroidered with peaches, and matching peach-coloured baseball caps. Every single one of them had a buzz cut.
Whenever they received a phone call, they stopped what they were doing to answer it, but before returning, they either washed their hands or changed their gloves.
The entire preparation process was orderly.
When one looked around, there was indeed no sign of limescale or dust.
All the utensils were sparkling clean.
[Wow, I'm in Jiangcheng! Heading over for a cup now~]
[Afternoon tea secured! Safe and sound~]
[Another fulfilling day! When will you open in Xiangcheng? Please hurry up, this kid is thirsty!]
[Ruanruan worked so hard just to find a healthy milk tea for Mom... she really gave it her all.]
[I could watch a livestream like this 365 days a year. I'll be here every day! Ordering now~]
Ten minutes later, Bao Ruanruan was happily sipping the Peach Oolong Cheese Foam Tea, a signature blend of pure cheese and high-quality tea leaves—a bold new experience for her.
Meanwhile, Chen Feng was drenched in sweat, slumped in his seat, panting from exhaustion.
"I swear, next time I'll tell Brother Xue—no more live streams for us."
Too. Damn. Tiring.
But then—
Chen Feng's phone buzzed with notifications one after another.
[Hot Peach Romance: Xinhe Road branch has received 93 orders. Extremely busy. Temporarily closing takeout orders.]
[Hot Peach Romance: Fuxin Road branch has received 163 orders. Extremely busy. Temporarily closing takeout orders.]
[Hot Peach Romance: Linquan Road branch…]
D*mn.
Chen Feng turned his head and looked at Bao Ruanyuan, who was taking small sips of her drink and was said to be making a special exception today.
"Xiao Bao... do you happen to have a childhood nickname?"
"Hm?"
Maybe it was *Pixiu (https://autumn-dragon.com/blogs/the-dragon-blog/pixiu-dragon)—
D*mn, she's particularly good at inviting wealth!
*
Meanwhile, at Lu Corporation Headquarters—
Inside the CEO's office.
"President Lu, the Chairman is on the phone..."
"President Lu, about our ZhiZhi Milk Tea brand—"
Two executive assistants rushed in at the same time, clearly flustered.
Lu Wenyao frowned and gestured for them to be quiet.
He considered his words carefully before answering the call.
"Father, I've already instructed the marketing manager to reach out—"
He tried to take the credit in advance.
But Lu Zhengda's voice blasted through the receiver before he could finish, leaving him completely disoriented.
"How exactly do you run this company?!"
"!?"
"Do you think the money from all our shareholders just grows on trees?! Do you throw it into the sea to feed the fish?!"
"!!"
Lu Wenyao was speechless, unable to find his voice for several seconds.
What the hell had just happened?!
"The entire company—shareholders and employees alike—are paying for your poor decisions. I do not want to see a repeat of this failure!"
Lu Zhengda's patience was clearly at its breaking point.
"You better conduct a thorough review of your management practices!"
Click.
The call ended abruptly.
Lu Wenyao sat frozen.
His father was strict but usually gave people a few chances.
This time, he was truly furious.
"President Lu, I think... this is about the ZhiZhi Milk Tea issue," an assistant hesitantly reported.
???
Lu Wenyang's eye twitched.
An overwhelming sense of absurdity washed over him.
This milk tea brand had always been one of the top three high-end brands in the industry and was expected to be profitable next month.
He had no choice but to follow his father's orders and make Bao Ruanruan the brand ambassador, hoping to win her goodwill.
But milk tea didn't fit in with Bao Ruanruan's healthy lifestyle persona.
If she accepted the endorsement, it would be a hidden landmine waiting to blow up her public image in the future.
Lu Wenyao had already calculated everything and was in control.
It should be no problem.
But then...
Bao Ruanruan... dishwashing liquid, kitchen supplies…
His heart skipped a beat. Lu Wenyao snapped his head up.
"What's going on?!"
"ZhiZhi had reached out to Bao Ruanruan to be its ambassador. She happened to be livestreaming at that time, so she stopped by our Fuxin branch to, uh... inspect our hygiene standards."
A sharp pain hit Lu Wenyao's temples.
"And?!"
"Well... on her livestream, she found that our air conditioning vents were covered in dust, the hot water dispenser had limescale build-up, the staff handling ingredients didn't wash their hands and walked around the prep area without hats, and they even used fruit that had fallen on the floor..."
Lu Wenyao's eye twitched violently.
"The live stream audience saw everything. Someone even clipped the footage and posted it on Weibo."
"President Lu! We're trending on social media—again!"
Lu Wenyao felt a surge of blood rush to his chest.
"President Lu, also..."
The assistant hesitated, her voice growing quieter.
"After that, Bao Ruanruan casually wandered into the Hot Peach Romance shop next door… and praised them for their cleanliness. Now netizens are saying they'll only drink from that brand from now on."
!!
The world went dark for a second.
Lu Wenyao almost couldn't get up from his chair.
"Oh, and President Lu—"
The secretary added cautiously.
"The chairman has scheduled an emergency shareholder conference call in thirty minutes. You… need to apologise to all the shareholders for the recent safety lapses and conduct a deep self-examination. And also... give everyone a proper explanation."
#Emergency Shareholder Meeting
Lu Zhengda was in the study when he beckoned his youngest son, who was lounging around the house with a chilled Coke in his hand, to come in.
"Xiao Hao, how do you think a milk tea shop should be run?"
Lu Zhengda's tone was casual, but his gaze was expectant.
Lu Wenhao blinked.
Huh?
"You know, when it comes to food safety management for a milk tea shop—what are your thoughts?"
"Oh."
What did he know about that?!
Lu Wenhao was dumbfounded.
But then—
He suddenly remembered the book that the old man from Hengshan Village had shoved into his hands the day he returned.
The title? Illness Starts with What You Eat.
Written on the cover were... the three key points!
"Wash your hands before handling food. Ensure the quality and cleanliness of ingredients. Sterilise and sanitise all utensils."
Without thinking, he even rapped it out in rhythm.
Lu Zhengda's eyes lit up.
On the open conference call, the shareholders' voices immediately rang out.
"Xiao Hao is spot on."
"Those three sentences say it all!"
"Old Lu, the boy has real insight. We've neglected those details."
When they broke it down, wasn't the whole milk tea disaster just a failure in those three key areas?
The Lu Corporation was originally a family business and had only recently begun to integrate outside capital into its shareholder structure.
On this conference call, most of the participants were direct or extended members of the Lu family.
"Xiao Hao is growing up."
"Old Lu, you should nurture him more—he's getting sharper!"
"I think Xiao Hao should take on a more important role in the company. He clearly has a keen perspective."
Lu Wenhao recognised these voices.
When he heard them speaking, he almost jumped in shock.
What the hell?!
Why are all my uncles and aunts suddenly praising me?
Wasn't my role in this family supposed to be 'the brainless one'?
"All right, go play."
Lu Zhengda muted the call and looked at his youngest son with an expression of unexpected admiration tempered with restrained satisfaction.
This boy was actually capable.
He was just growing.
There was no need to rush him.
"When's your next appearance on that self-improvement reality show?"
"Huh?" Lu Wenhao was completely lost.
What is a 'self-improvement reality show'?
"Oh, no, I meant that farming reality show. Your father has personally added more sponsorship. You can film four or five episodes a week, stay there full-time, and there is no need to come home. You can even keep filming for four or five years—seven or eight seasons, no problem."
"!???"
*
After wrapping up her livestream, Bao Ruanruan sipped a cup of warm pure tea.
The fatigue and discomfort of her period had faded considerably.
Although she felt a bit guilty, the relaxation and comfort made her feel that it was worth it to break her own rule just this once.
Then—before she even got home—Hot Peach Romance sent her an offer for a brand endorsement.
When Chen Feng told her, his expression was complicated.
This offer wasn't made by him.
Nor was it arranged by Brother Xue.
Whenever they acquired a brand, they would hire professional managers to make long-term strategic plans and oversee the day-to-day operations.
So—this was sent directly from the executives in charge of Hot Peach Romance.
Offer a peach in kindness and receive a jade in return (https://learnchinesewords520idiosmsproverbs.blogspot.com/2014/12/proverb_23.html).
Bao Ruanruan had an eye for craftsmanship, for brands that genuinely cared about quality.
And the brand? They didn't want to miss out on her.
No one was better than her to be the face of Hot Peach Romance.
"When you're feeling down and need warmth, meet us at Hot Peach Romance~"
Dressed in a peach-pink T-shirt with a high bun, Bao Ruanruan smiled sweetly at the camera.
A simple advertisement video.
It went viral on Weibo faster than even Pengmai!
[Victory! Love this speed!]
[Hahaha, congrats to Hot Peach Romance for earning the official Justice Bao Approval! And congrats to Ruanruan for landing a trustworthy endorsement!]
[On such a joyful day, I must have a cup of milk tea... except this brand doesn't exist in my city! Fine, I'll make one myself~]
[My child secretly reminds me again—Milk tea isn't water! You can't drink it every day! Only when you feel down or really crave it!]
[Bao Ruanyuan is genuinely a conscientious artist—this ad slogan doesn't even push people to drink excessively.]
[Omg, the more she says that the more I want to support her!]
[I'll listen to Ruanruan—no more daily milk tea. But when Hot Peach Romance opens in my city, my entire monthly milk tea quota (4–5 cups) will go only to them! Please come here quickly~]
[@Hot Peach Romance, OPEN MORE BRANCHES!]
In an instant, long queues formed outside Hot Peach Romance shops all over Jiangcheng.
Other cities? They were waiting impatiently.
Overnight, this brand of milk tea had become a household name.
And yet—Bao Ruanruan, the mastermind, didn't even think she had done anything.
She had just casually, absentmindedly walked into a milk tea shop.
Two days later, she had already forgotten about it.
Bao Ruanruan was heading to a new drama set for an audition for Minlin Mountain.
This audition had been arranged by Xue Jing.
The entire industry was responding to new cultural directives—the mainstream media was pushing for more wholesome, socially uplifting productions.
Even modern dramas were pivoting toward positive messaging.
This was the biggest trend of the year.
And Minlin Mountain was precisely this kind of drama.
It told the story of a small village in the northwest region of the country and how, over three generations, they slowly built a prosperous life.
When Xue Jing read the synopsis of the script, he immediately marked a role for her.
She would be a young teacher from the city who volunteered to teach in Minlin Mountain.
At first, the teacher struggled—unaccustomed to rural life's hardships, making her want to leave.
But for the sake of the children who desperately need an education, she grits her teeth and stays.
She dedicated her youth to the village, raising a generation of students who eventually made it out of the mountains and into university.
Bao Ruanruan was auditioning for the teacher's younger years.
"Brother Xue's instincts are unmatched."
Chen Feng sighed in admiration.
Just one day after Xue Jing chose this role for her, the drama had already been pre-sold to Nancheng TV.
Before they even started filming, it had already secured a prime time slot for the second quarter of next year.
"Do you know how many actors finish filming their dramas, only for them to never air? Xiao Baozi, you must grab this opportunity."
Chen Feng spoke as he escorted Bao Ruanyuan to the audition venue.
"Oh, right. Brother Xue asked me to do something before you go in."
Before Bao Ruanruan exited the van, Chen Feng suddenly touched his forehead awkwardly.
"Hmm?"
"Did you bring any supplements with you? Vitamins? Ginseng tea?"
Bao Ruanruan's face turned red. "Yes."
Having them made her feel secure.
"Lend me some." Chen Feng cleared his throat.
Bao Ruanruan blinked her large, watery eyes.
These were her treasures.
But… Chen Feng had been running around with her everywhere.
He was a teammate.
And teammates should share resources.
Bao Ruanruan felt a pang of heartache, but she still lowered her head and rummaged through her small bag, pulling out her personal stash.
— Emergency heart relief pills, herbal medicine for heatstroke…
— Vitamins, ginseng slices, chrysanthemum & goji tea for daily wellness…
— Dental floss, a gua sha scraping board for general health...
......
Chen Feng: "?"
Are you Doraemon or something?!
No wonder her backpack was always so huge!
Bao Ruanruan laid everything out on the passenger seat for Chen Feng to choose from.
Her fair little face was filled with heartbreak, but she gritted her teeth and endured it.
"Brother Feng, what do you need? How much?"
Chen Feng let out a sinister laugh.
"I'll take everything!"
In a flash, he scooped it all up!
Bao Ruanruan: "...O^Ο!"
"Yes, that's exactly the heartbroken expression, like the sky is falling. Remember that feeling for the audition later."
"Brother Xue specifically requested this."
Chen Feng patted the now empty seat.
"I'll return it after your audition."
"!"
— She had a delicate yet unyielding resilience.
— Before the audition, he would have to get that out of her.
Ten minutes later, Chen Feng slumped in his seat.
Ouch, his hand!
"Done?"
"Bro! I almost died!"🦊
"……"
*
In the end, all Bao Ruanruan left him was a bag of chrysanthemum goji tea and a single day's worth of vitamins.
Then, she exited the van and walked into the audition building.
She had been here before.
The industry-recognised A-list Casting Company.
The same place where she had auditioned for the role of a palace maid in a historical drama.
According to Chen Feng, this agency had handled the casting for many major productions in the industry.
For a large-scale drama with over a hundred roles, the casting process could take six months to a year—or at least two to three months.
It was impossible for investors and directors to supervise everything personally.
That was why A-list Casting had become the industry's first choice.
They have their own extensive database of actors.
After multiple collaborations, whenever a suitable role came up, they also took the initiative to contact actors for auditions.
But this time, Bao Ruanruan's audition wasn't an invitation—her agent had submitted her profile.
So when a familiar face—casting director Zhang Chenhao—saw her again, he was stunned.
"It's you!"
Her unwilling-to-die palace maid had left such a deep impression on him!
As a result... even two months later, it was still vividly etched in his memory, as if it had just happened.
In fact, during those two months, he had recommended five or six similar roles to her studio—a cowardly spy, a fearful courtesan…
But her agent had turned them all down.
They didn't want her to get stuck in typecast roles.
But—her acting style was all about the fear of death! It was so intense that it overshadowed everything else she portrayed!
Zhang Chenhao had even seen her act as a student in Dawn.
That final scene—crawling across the ground after being shot—others might not have noticed, but he could tell: She didn't want to die!
"Hi, Director Zhang."
Bao Ruanruan still remembered him.
The kind man who had let her live through an entire historical drama.
Zhang Chenhao's mouth twitched. "How are you?"
Today, she wore a light blue shirt dress, her slender figure as delicate as a willow branch.
Her petite face was so fair it seemed to glow, and her bright, watery eyes carried a hint of fragility that made her even more captivating than the last time they had met.
This delicate aura was truly something that most beautiful actresses didn't have.
This sense of fragility and delicacy was just right. She was capable of swaying the audience's emotions along with her—she naturally has what you'd call 'audience appeal'.
She was born to be on screen.
But her acting style was rather one-dimensional.
"This teacher role doesn't suit you."
Zhang Chenhao leafed through her audition materials and immediately spotted the issue.
He was giving her his honest opinion.
"This teacher is a fresh graduate who comes to Minlin Village with dreams of changing rural education. She faces obstacles, but she overcomes them."
Her whole journey had nothing to do with death.
No life and death struggles.
This teacher was focused on her students, not on her survival.
"The teacher role isn't a good fit for you. I suggest you audition for another role... Hmm, there's a pregnant woman who dies in childbirth. She has a monologue before she dies—it would be perfect for your unique traits."
Zhang Chenhao's insight was sharp.
But Bao Ruanruan's jaw dropped.
At that moment, she truly appreciated her agent.
—What do you mean 'dies'?!
—What do you mean 'last monologue before death'?!
"Director Zhang, you have a huge misunderstanding of me!"
Bao Ruanruan's rosy little face was filled with righteous indignation.
"I was born to be a teacher!"
"!?"
"Director, where are the children? I want to start teaching right now!~"
"............"
Footnotes Full List
- This fan nicknamed Bao Ruanruan 'Justice Bao' because her surname is the same as 'Justice Bao'.
- Ruanruan must have wrestled the items out of his hand. 🤭
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