🦊: Sorry for the delay. I was so tired after travelling to my hometown that I overslept. 😅
"We can watch the live broadcast of We Opened a Shop to check the weather conditions in that mountainous area."
With just one sentence, Bao Ruanruan stunned both the live chat and the on-site audience.
[Ruanruan, so you're live-streaming a variety show of you watching the live stream of another variety show?]
[Pfft, no show-within-a-show allowed!]
[I know that variety show! I think it's from Nancheng TV, not Jiangcheng!]
[Yeah, I know it too! They're both rural slow-life variety shows. Competitors, right?]
For the past three years, Nancheng TV and Jiangcheng TV had been in direct competition.
Even the audience had caught on to this.
Whichever network launched a hit variety show first, the other would follow suit—learning from it and innovating further.
If one bought the rights to a hit drama, the other would immediately acquire something similar.
During various New Year's Eve and holiday galas, both networks went all out—inviting A-list celebrities and popular influencers and doing everything they could to outdo each other.
The audience knew that We Opened a Shop and Chasing Dreams were rival shows.
The two shows began airing only a month apart.
Their formats were strikingly similar—rural settings, mountain backdrops, live streaming, and interaction between guests and ordinary participants.
Even the guest line-ups were identical: a singer, a girl group member, and an actor.
This was an open and direct showdown.
Nancheng TV's intention to steal the audience of Chasing Dreams was crystal clear.
The competition between these two shows was fierce.
But no one expected Bao Ruanruan to casually say, "Let's just have a look," on live camera, as if she was just curious, while openly watching the rival show's live stream!
She was practically directing traffic to their competition!
Zheng Mingchang nearly fainted.
"This... isn't this bad?" Lan Zhi quickly tried to stop it.
But Xiao Mengfei, a devoted Bao Ruanruan fan, chimed in, "Sis Lan, Bao Bao is right! We can use the other show's live stream to check the weather in Hengshan Village since their geography is similar ~ that's the best way!"
Lan Zhi: "......"
Even Lu Wenhao, who was usually a bit slow, sensed something was wrong.
But he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Meanwhile, Secretary Zhou sent him a message: [We don't have any tour groups going to Hengshan Village at the moment. I've tried to contact the local tourism bureau, but their phone line is busy. I'll let you know if I get any news.]
Lu Wenhao: "!"
In his mind, that Old Man's Special Assistant Zhou was always omnipotent—there was nothing he couldn't do!
He immediately shouted, "Something's wrong! All the phones in Hengshan seem to be out of order! Even my father's secretary can't get through!"
Lan Zhi: "!"
Cheng Yao: "!"
The two, who had originally wanted to stop Bao Ruanruan's ridiculous idea, were stunned.
"What are we waiting for? Let's watch the livestream right now! Is it on the Nancheng TV app? I'll download it!" Xiao Mengfei's impatience was on full display.
There was a 65-inch TV in their living room.
Thinking the phone screen was too small, Xiao Mengfei immediately cast the live stream onto the ultra-wide-screen TV.
In an instant, the five guests from We Opened a Shop appeared on the screen.
"Huh? That's Qu Feifei?"
"What? Brother Han?"
"Even Xiao Xin is there?"
"Oh wow, Brother Jin too?"
Lan Zhi and the others exclaimed in shock.
The five guests on the rival show were all familiar faces—friends and acquaintances of theirs.
The broadcast quickly showed Qu Feifei and the others digging bamboo shoots and cooking with the locals in a farm-to-table experience.
[Pffft, I don't even know what to say. Bao Ruanruan's wild move has left me speechless.]
[Uh... should I say this? Han Mo, I'm your fan too! I just switched channels~ hehe.]
[Brother Jin, I watched your drama! It made me cry so much~]
[Feifei vs. Xiaoxiao—the girl group battle I've been waiting for!]
The comments section was completely derailed.
All the hype was now benefiting the rival show.
Zheng Mingchang wanted to cry, but no tears came.
At this point, there was no stopping it.
......
Ten minutes later.
Zheng Mingchang secretly brewed some chrysanthemum tea with lotus seeds to calm himself before returning to the filming set.
"How bad is it? How much has our live audience dropped?"
He was ready to face reality.
He had mentally prepared himself.
If this blunder was going to boost the rival show... well, at least he was accumulating good karma.
His assistant rushed over, looking extremely conflicted.
It was as if he did not know how to speak.
Zheng Mingchang sighed. "Just say it. My heart can take it. I took my blood pressure medicine this morning."
The assistant nodded seriously. "Director, our live viewers... have increased by 10.25 million!"
Increased by 10.25 million.
This is terrible.
Today, there were only about 30 million viewers in total. Now, unbelievably, one-third of them had left!
This drop was going to kill him!
He was about to retire, and now, his career was going down in flames.
"Director, Director, we are gaining viewers! Our numbers have gone up!"
Zheng Mingchang's trembling hands slowly steadied.
Three seconds later, his eyes widened. "... What... did you just say?"
Where were they getting their viewers from?
Weren't they diverting traffic to their rival, Nancheng TV?
"Director, we have diverted their traffic to us!"
Zheng Mingchang: "?"
!!!
He took a sip of his chrysanthemum and lotus seed tea. The bitterness jolted him awake.
He looked down at the live chat.
[I'm here~ Hehe, is this the legendary variety show where you can watch two shows at the same time?]
[+1, I didn't believe it when I heard about it, but it's real! Are these two networks working together? I've learned something new today!]
[Unbelievable. I never thought I'd see Brother Jin and Sister Lan on the same screen... OMG, when are you two going to work together? I've been waiting forever!]
[I'm looking forward to Feifei and Xiaoxiao's dance battle! I HAVE to support this show!]
[This is so much fun! I'm dying of laughter. I came from the Nancheng App, and now I get to see ten guests at once! Totally worth it!]
[Same, I came from the Nancheng app, too. I saw people in the chat saying there was a surprise on Jiangcheng's stream, so I checked it out. Didn't expect this! I've never watched Chasing Dreams before, but wow, Lu Wenhao looks amazing on camera. And Xiao Mengfei is so pretty. Bao Ruanruan—OMG, is she a real fairy? She's gorgeous!]
[This is awesome! This is the first time I have seen two live streams nested together. So exciting!]
[This director is a genius! How did he come up with this? I love this new format! Variety shows need to step up their game—I want innovation!! Please, Mentor Lan Zhi, give us a critique of Han Mo and Brother Jin's acting! I beg you!]
Zheng Mingchang: "!"
This... actually worked?
"Director, Nancheng lost seven million viewers. Their ratings are probably going to drop this week!"
Zheng Mingchang: "!!"
He never expected this.
They actually stole Nancheng's audience!
At first, he thought this media storm would destroy them completely.
And the rival show would overtake their ratings.
But now—they won!
He looked at Bao Ruanruan sitting on the sofa, fully immersed in watching the rival variety show.
Her fair face showed a range of expressions—sometimes surprised, sometimes serious... She was genuinely watching.
Her move had been unexpectedly brilliant.
He never could've come up with this.
"Last year's fortune reading said I'd have a benefactor this year..."
Zheng Mingchang stroked his chin, deep in thought.
"Director, we've gained 13 million more viewers."
"Director, we've gained 15 million more viewers."
"Director..."
Zheng Mingchang nodded slightly.
He was getting used to this.
Just a few million more viewers. No big deal~
But on the live stream, the five Nancheng guests and locals were still chatting happily in the fields.
Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Bao Ruanruan's expression grew increasingly grim as she watched the broadcast.
Her expression changed from serious to pale to visibly uneasy.
[?]
[What's wrong?]
"They haven't taken any precautions against lightning," Bao Ruanruan said with distress.
[!]
[?]
[Besides packing up, what else should they do?]
[Don't worry, their cabin isn't far. If there's thunder, they can probably get back in five minutes! They'll be fine, right? What else needs to be done?]
There's a lot of work to be done!
Bao Ruanruan watched as Qu Feifei laughing carefree in the fields, still crouched down, picking eggplants with the locals, moving at a snail's pace...
She was getting anxious just from watching this scene.
If this were a survival game, Qu Feifei wouldn't make it to the next level.
"Bao Bao, what precautions should they take?"
Everyone else was confused, but Xiao Mengfei, always straightforward, asked boldly.
"The orange warning for thunderstorms and heavy rain still hasn't been lifted yet."
"The typhoon is intensifying."
Bao Ruanruan raised a finger. "When you don't know how long the severe weather will last or whether the roads in and out of the area will be blocked, the first thing you should do is check if you have enough supplies at home!"
[!]
[WTF!]
[Oh crap, I almost forgot!]
[Right, right! I just went out to buy food!]
"There are 11 of them, plus crew and cameramen—at least 23 people in that small cabin. Do they have enough food?"
Bao Ruanruan's brain was on high alert, flashing back to her own survival experiences in games.
"Do they have enough drinking water for 23 people? If the pipes burst and they can't go outside because of lightning, they won't have access to river or well water. They'll have to collect rainwater to make ends meet. Are their barrels and pots ready?"
"Rainwater should be boiled before drinking. They're in the mountains—if the gas supply is cut off, do they have enough dry firewood?"
[......!]
[Oh my God!]
[I totally forgot—they need to make a fire! Have they brought the firewood inside? It's going to get soaked!]
Bao Ruanruan's expression was more serious than ever as she watched the TV screen and sighed.
On the screen, Qu Feifei was still joking around with the locals and had only picked two eggplants.
Han Mo and the other two male guests were lazily fishing.
"They're moving too slowly!"
Bao Ruanruan slapped the table.
"At least one person should be in charge of overall coordination. Two should check for supply shortages. The rest should split up to gather enough food, drinking water, essential medicines, and first-aid supplies to last three to five days!"
[Sh*t! Someone send Bao Ruanruan over there!]
[Can we teleport her in?]
[D*mn it, now I'm getting worried... What kind of first-aid supplies do they need?]
[Is it really that serious?]
[I just googled it—an orange warning is the second-highest level of meteorological disaster alert. It's serious. Only red is worse!]
[Holy crap, I just stood up in a panic!]
And soon—almost right after Bao Ruanruan spoke.
About ten minutes later.
The atmosphere on the TV screen, showing the live feed from Lerong Mountain, changed drastically.
The wind sweeping through the tower announced that a storm was about to break1.
Although it was only 11 am, dark clouds slowly rolled over the mountains, shrouding the sky in darkness.
The leaves on the trees swayed violently in the wind, rustling incessantly.
On the live broadcast, Qu Feifei and the others had their clothes tossed about by the wind and their hair tangled wildly.
In an instant, lightning flashed, and thunder roared!
[Ah! Just like Ruanruan said—the typhoon arrived within two hours!]
[Dangerous!]
The live chat was in chaos.
Bao Ruanruan suddenly stood up.
"Director Zheng, do you have the rival director's contact information?"
Zheng Mingchang: "!"
"They lack the knowledge to avoid and respond to lightning properly. Their situation is very dangerous."
Zheng Mingchang: "!"
[Holy crap! They didn't prepare, and now they don't even know how to take cover?!]
[Oh my God, Bao Bao, please teach them!]
[Call them now! Let Bao Bao guide them!]
Before the new viewers in the chat could even ask what was going on, Bao Ruanruan had already stepped forward, tugging at the denim straps of her black T-shirt.
Urgently, she walked towards the TV screen.
Her fair, slender index finger tapped on the image of Qu Feifei—startled by a sudden clap of thunder, had instinctively clutched her dress and was now standing in the middle of the road, shivering beside an electricity pole in the pitch-black storm.
"They need to return to a shelter with insulated walls as soon as possible."
"No matter how scared they are, they must not stand in the middle of the road—especially near electricity poles or tree trunks. They should stay at least three metres away."
[!]
[Oh sh*t! Feifei, run!]
On the screen, the rain already soaked Qu Feifei's dress.
Another deafening clap of thunder snapped her back to reality!
She quickly ran towards a bicycle parked by the side of the road.
The two local girls who were with her also jumped on their bikes.
That was how they had got to the fields in the first place.
But next to the TV, Bao Ruanruan gasped.
"Bicycles are made of metal. You can't ride them in a thunderstorm."
[!!!]
Zheng Mingchang panicked. "I'm calling Nancheng's director right now!"
Just then, Han Mo appeared on the screen.
He and Wu Zhijin had stopped fishing. They were now rushing over in a tractor, carrying umbrellas, coming to pick up Qu Feifei and the two local girls.
"Get in the tractor now!" Han Mo shouted as he stopped at the fish pond.
Wu Zhijin immediately jumped off the tractor and used an umbrella to shield the two local girls as he helped them into the vehicle.
But next to the TV, Bao Ruanruan's delicate fingers were already covering her wide, watery eyes.
"They can't use a tractor."
Her face turned pale as she recalled similar scenarios from survival games.
Her legs felt weak as she stared at the screen.
"Parking in that location is a fatal mistake. During a thunderstorm, you should never stop near water. Water conducts electricity—the chances of lightning hitting the pond are high."
"And if the umbrella rod is made of metal, using it will make things even more dangerous."
[Oh my God! This is a disaster waiting to happen!]
[Someone, please save Feifei!]
[Can a fan contact their management?!]
[Awoo🔗, I left a message for Han Mo's studio. Please let them see it in time!]
[I'm not even a fan, but I have left a message too!]
[What the hell is wrong with this show?! @NanchengTV @WeOpenedaStore Are you watching your own broadcast? Stop this before something happens!]
[Wake up, sis! This is a live broadcast! Tag them on Weibo instead!]
The live chat was exploding.
But on the screen, the situation instantly escalated!
A blinding bolt of lightning split the pitch-black sky in half!
BOOM!
A deafening thunderclap followed, shaking the ground.
Bao Ruanruan's expression turned grim.
"That lightning is close."
"The time between the lightning and the thunder was less than two seconds."
"If you can't make it to a shelter during a heavy thunderstorm, you need to crouch down in an open area and cover your head."
[Has anyone gotten through to Nancheng TV yet?!]
[Call them now! Let Ruanruan tell them what to do!]
[I left a comment on Nancheng's live chat! But everyone there is talking about the lightning, and I haven't seen an official response yet! This is so frustrating!]
[Damn it, is that show cursed?!]
[Seriously, do they not understand what an orange weather warning means?!]
The thunder grew louder and louder.
The whole sky flickered between pitch-black and blinding white.
Lightning flashed, striking dangerously close!
On the screen, Qu Feifei, who had run halfway, was hit by another monstrous thunderclap.
She screamed, her legs giving out as she collapsed to the ground.
Drenched in rain, she curled up and held her head, her face pale as a ghost!
Next to the TV, Bao Ruanruan's little face remained tense.
"Yes, that's the right posture."
[!]
[!!]
"The head is the most vulnerable and deadly point—it's also the most likely to be struck by lightning."
Bao Ruanruan took a deep breath.
She remembered it vividly—once, in a game, she hadn't made it back to a safe house in time.
A supercharged thunderstorm had closed in on her, leaving her surrounded by lightning from all sides.
Just like this.
The air itself was filled with electricity.
The sensation of electricity crawling through her hair, like tiny insects skittering over her scalp...
She still remembered it vividly.
"Hug your head, lower your body—that is... all we can do."
"In the face of nature's cruelty, life is frighteningly fragile."
Her soft voice carried a hint of sorrow and vulnerability, yet she tried her best to remain strong.
"I hope... we all make it through safely."
[Praying! Good luck to them!]
[Damn it! Nancheng should've invited Bao Ruanruan as a guest! At least one guest or staff member should have proper safety knowledge for an outdoor survival show!]
[For the first time, I feel like Chasing Dream can't do without Bao Ruanruan!]
[She's practically a walking safety manual! Nancheng, hurry up and invite her already!]
Finally, Zheng Mingchang's call went through.
He quickly explained the situation.
Five or six staff in plastic rain boots and raincoats appeared on the screen shortly afterwards.
They handed Qu Feifei and the others raincoats and told them to get off the tractor immediately.
Everyone dropped their umbrellas and, wrapped in their raincoats, walked half-squat towards the small house.
Thankfully, it wasn't far.
In less than ten minutes, they were safely inside.
They were soaked to the skin but unharmed.
[Phew! That scared me!]
[I've never watched such a nerve-wracking show before!]
[I was terrified. Thank God I switched from Nancheng's app to Jiangcheng's stream in time. Without Bao Ruanruan's guidance, I... would have been scared to death watching it.]
[With weather like this, they should've ended the broadcast! Why are the cameras still rolling? Are the cameramen not human?!]
[Nancheng TV, what the hell?!]
The chat was full of angry comments.
Yet, We Opened a Store continued to film the live broadcast.
The rain-smeared cameras shifted to the indoor scene.
The guests and local participants were visibly shaken.
But the filming didn't stop.
Anyone watching could see that the girls on the screen were barely holding on.
Qu Feifei, red-eyed and pale, spoke weakly.
"I just want to take a shower and rest for a bit."
"Go ahead," Han Mo nodded worriedly. "All the girls should rest. Brother Wu and I will take care of dinner."
Qu Feifei mumbled a tired thanks and walked to the kitchen to turn on the solar-powered water heater.
In front of the TV, Bao Ruanruan's face turned pale.
[!?]
[Wait, they can't shower?!]
[You can't use a solar water heater during a thunderstorm! It's installed on the roof—if lightning strikes, the electrical current will travel down the metal pipes...]
[Fxxk!!!]
[Feifei, STOP!]
Fortunately, Wu Zhijin on the screen also knew about this hazard.
He immediately stopped Qu Feifei.
A crisis averted.
Bao Ruanruan patted her chest in relief and then returned to the sofa with her thermos.
Her mobile phone on the coffee table buzzed.
She glanced at the message and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Village Chief Hengshan says everyone is staying indoors. They have enough supplies, so they're fine."
With that, she sank into the sofa, exhausted.
"Filming a show in this kind of weather must be brutal."
[Exactly! What is Nancheng TV thinking?! Are they so desperate for ratings?!]
[That's it. I'm going to curse them on Weibo.]
[Same! Who's with me?!]
Zheng Mingchang glanced at the chat.
His eye twitched.
He reached up and wiped the cold sweat from his back.
Thank goodness.
If it weren't for Bao Ruanruan, their own production team would probably be filming in Hengshan Village right now...
Being criticised was the least of his worries—it was simply too dangerous.
If anything happened—to a guest, a crew member, a villager—he didn't even dare to think about it.
Staring at the TV screen, Zheng Mingchang felt a wave of fear wash over him.
#NanchengTVIsIrresponsible
#SafetyGuidelinesForThunderstorms
In less than two hours, the incident had exploded on social media.
The heavy rain continued until noon the next day.
The entire We Opened a Store crew was trapped in the small building on Lerong Mountain.
With the storm raging outside, no one dared enter the mountain, and they couldn't leave either.
Since this was a self-sufficiency survival show, where even food had to be foraged... The guests and local participants were now running out of supplies.
Everyone looked helpless on the screen.
Some of the local girls even broke down in tears, deeply regretting that they had signed up for the show.
"Ugh."
"If there's a warning about severe weather, always check your household supplies first."
"I'll repeat it three times—always, always, always."
Still watching the broadcast from her hotel, Bao Ruanruan sat up, her delicate face serious and focused.
She stared at the screen, picked up a notebook, and began writing.
"For cities with a history of natural disasters, households should always keep the following emergency supplies on hand..."
[Ah! I need that supply checklist!]
[Hand it over! Emergency supply list, please!]
[@ChasingDream, @DirectorZhengMingchang, please post Bao Ruanruan's notes on Weibo. Thank you~]
[Help! Send Bao Ruanruan to educate Nancheng TV already!]
[Sigh. Severe weather + a survival show = disaster. The production team should've prepared for this when they saw the weather forecast! What were they thinking?!]
The internet was furious.
By the next day, the live broadcast of Chasing Dream had reached 69.6 million viewers—breaking its all-time record.
Meanwhile, Nancheng TV's We Opened a Store was abruptly taken off the air on Sunday afternoon.
Thousands of viewers who had been watching from Jiangcheng and worried sick about the guests and locals nearly lost their minds, cursing at the network.
Soon, news started to appear on Weibo.
#A certain variety show has been ordered to halt broadcasting and undergo rectification for ignoring typhoon and lightning warnings.#
#According to a journalist's phone interview, three crew members were injured by falling trees struck by lightning. They have been taken to the hospital and are in a stable condition.#
#The show's five celebrity guests and six local participants have left the mountainous area safely. Although physically unharmed, some are suffering emotional distress. Insider sources reveal that two participants have already filed compensation claims against the production team.#
[!]
[!!]
[Yeah, they should fix their mistakes!]
[Other variety shows better take note—don't play with people's lives!]
[Exactly! Make them pay!]
Director Zheng Mingchang, who had been following the drama unfold on Weibo, wiped the sweat from his forehead.
All he wanted was to beat the rival show's ratings.
He never expected that the rival show would be pulled off the air the very next day.
He turned to look at Bao Ruanruan, still sitting on the couch, intently watching a live news broadcast about the typhoon.
At that moment, she seemed to glow.
—His guiding light!
"Xiao Ruan~"
Zheng Mingchang solemnly put down his teacup and phone before carefully beckoning her.
Bao Ruanruan tilted her delicate, fair face, her soft, clear eyes looking at him with a hint of confusion.
"Director Zheng?"
Zheng Mingchang beamed.
"The netizens all want to see your emergency supply list. Can we take a photo and post the notes you just wrote on our show's official Weibo account?"
If she wanted to post them first, that was fine, too.
After all, she was the one who brought in the audience and traffic in the first place.
"If you prefer, you can post it first, and we'll just repost it."
Bao Ruanruan blinked, immediately finding the second option too much trouble.
Without hesitation, she grabbed the light-blue denim straps of her overalls, turned around, and picked up the small notebook from the coffee table.
She handed it to Director Zheng Mingchang.
"Here. Take it."
Her willingness to share moved Zheng Mingchang deeply.
She was giving away all this audience engagement and traffic to the production team.
How could there be such a selfless celebrity?
She not only made the show entertaining and funny but also drew in viewers and created viral moments.
And yet she was neither competitive nor fussy about every little thing!
"We will tag you and your studio's Weibo account."
Bao Ruanruan pursed her lips, then waved a hand dismissively.
"That doesn't matter."
She turned back to continue watching the typhoon news.
[Holy crap, I get it. The director offered to let her post first so she could gain followers, but she refused?!]
[D*mn, even when he said they would tag her, she still didn't care?! She's unreal! She's nothing like other celebs!]
[Bao Ruanruan, I beg you, STOP radiating your irresistible charm! I can't take it anymore!]
If Director Zheng Mingchang was this touched, how could the audience not be?
But then, as he glanced down, he suddenly froze.
He had only seen Bao Ruanruan holding a small notebook earlier, so he assumed it didn't contain much.
Now that he had it in his hands, he realised—this thing was thick.
And on the cover, it read:
[Life Safety Protection Notebook (Vol. 4)]
Zheng Mingchang: "???"
This title is absolutely bold.
And the number 4...
Did it mean that there were three volumes before this one?
He eyed the A5-sized notebook, which had at least 80 pages.
He was utterly stunned.
The livestream cameras also zoomed in.
[4?]
[FOUR volumes?! I'm signing up for a Jiangcheng app membership RIGHT NOW—I NEED to see Volumes 1, 2, and 3!]
[WTF! I thought this was just a typhoon incident, but d*mn, it turned out to be a full-on TV SERIES! @ChasingDream, can you release the previous ones? One volume per episode?]
From the couch, Bao Ruanruan suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, Director, the emergency supply list is on page 42~"
She raised her delicate hand to remind him.
Zheng Mingchang: "..."
She even memorised the page number?!
He flipped through the notebook and landed on page 35.
——[Mooncakes Can Send You to the Hospital: How to Identify Safe Mooncakes and Recommended Consumption Amounts]
Zheng Mingchang: "!"
Oh, right, the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming up soon...
He flipped to page 40.
——[A Citizen Fell into a Sewer: The Safety of Urban Manhole Covers & Walking Precautions]
Zheng Mingchang: "!!"
Wait, wasn't that a real news story from last week?!
Finally, he reached pages 41 and 42.
——[Thunderstorms & Heavy Rain: Indoor and Outdoor Safety Precautions]
——[Household Emergency Supply List]
Zheng Mingchang took a deep breath and lifted his gaze.
On the couch, Bao Ruanruan was now listening to Xiao Mengfei speak, a rare smile appearing on her face.
His expression turned complicated.
What had she been through?
Why was she so obsessed with collecting disaster-related news and safety measures?
He suppressed the strange pang of sympathy in his heart—one that felt like a father's concern for his daughter—and remained silent.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat exploded.
[What kind of god-tier notebook is this?!]
[I take it back—I don't want just the supply list. I want a full scan of the whole book!]
[I formally apologise for ever bad-mouthing Bao Ruanruan. I think... I was wrong...]
[Same here...]
Since many new viewers of Nancheng Variety Show had switched to Chasing Dream, they saw Bao Ruanruan's true personality for the first time.
And over the past two days, she had shocked them all.
[I used to believe the internet when they called her a brainless beauty... but now I realise—I'm the brainless one.]
[Honestly, when my idol Han Mo was driving that tractor and Bao Ruanruan suddenly said it was dangerous, I got SO scared. I even started crying. Thank God nothing happened. Thank you, Bao Ruanruan. And thank you, Director Zheng, for making that call! I'll never criticise her again.
Please, I'm begging you—release a digital version of her notes!]
[Same! At first, I thought she was just some gold digger trying to stir up drama at Lu Wenyao's engagement. But now... I see that she's actually beautiful and smart, with wisdom and experience. Honestly, it makes perfect sense for Lu Wenyao to fall in love with her.
And considering how cautious she is about safety… was she traumatised by a past relationship?]
[That's a great theory!]
[I think I'm becoming a Bao Ruanruan fan. Aside from that engagement drama, has she had any other scandals?]
[She's not great at acting, and her professional skills aren't the best. Does that bother you?]
[Actually, her acting has improved—check out the highlights of episode 7 of Dawn for her best scenes!]
[???]
[And her professional skills are actually solid—watch Model Angel Contest! The first episode aired yesterday, and the second today.
I swear, after watching it, I feel like she's literally glowing.]
[!!!]
*
Jingtian Studio
Chen Feng had just settled down on a cosy sofa surrounded by green plants, enjoying the feeling of two huskies licking his hands.
That was when his phone rang.
"Brother Xue? Mm, don't worry, everything's fine. Just wait for the typhoon to pass before you come back."
"I'm fine. All the investment projects are running smoothly, and there are no problems with the typhoon preparations."
"Oh, Xiao Baozi is doing well too. She doesn't even have to go to Hengshan for this episode—she's indoors with Director Zheng, so there's nothing to worry about."
Chen Feng glanced at his phone and casually opened Bao Ruanruan's studio's Weibo page as he spoke.
In an instant, he almost rolled over on one of the huskies.
192,395 private messages!
39,345 unread comments!
"???"
[Little Studio, please tell Bao Ruanruan that I'm sorry. I used to criticise her—I was blind.]
[I misunderstood her. Please apologise on my behalf and tell her she's the sweetest little cub~]
[Thank you, Bao Ruanruan, for saving my Feifei again.]
[Thank you, Bao Ruanruan, for saving my Han Mo~]
[Thank you...]
Chen Feng: "!!"
Wait.
Hold on.
For the past two days, he had been dealing with company matters—logistics delays due to the typhoon and inventory damage due to flooding.
Did his memory become distorted?
Weren't Qu Feifei and Han Mo filming a variety show in the mountains of Nancheng? Wasn't Xiao Baozi safely staying in a five-star hotel in Jiangcheng with Director Zheng?
How did she manage to save them?!
Did she take the Hogwarts Express with Harry Potter or something?
[Waaah, the show only posted a picture of the emergency supply list. Little Studio, please release a complete digital copy of all four volumes of her safety notes! No missing pages, please!]
[Little Studio, have you considered selling them? Look into publishing! I'll pay for Bao Ruanruan's notes!]
[I've already set the price for you—30 yuan per book! Little Studio, wake up and get to work!]
Chen Feng: "?"
"Boss, maybe you should just come back despite the typhoon?"
"............"
He couldn't even finish reading all the private messages!
His hands were getting sore from scrolling!
Just when he finally managed to skim through a few hundred messages and mark everything as read, ready to exit Weibo—
The number of unread messages started jumping again!
+369 new messages!
+3,049 new messages!
+19,029 new messages!
Chen Feng: "!!"
Hey, slow down!
You want digital copies? They need to be scanned first!
Why are the viewers of Chasing Dream so enthusiastic?!
But as he continued reading the incoming messages, he realised they were now talking about something else entirely!
[Little Studio, is it true that Bao Ruanruan has withdrawn from the modelling competition? Nooo! The competition won't be the same without her!]
[D*mn, d*mn, I'm on my knees! I wanted to see more of her photoshoots—did she really quit? My heart is breaking.]
[I take back everything bad I had said. I admit I was an idiot. I was one of the people who criticised her in the first episode, and then, d*mn, her high-altitude catwalk just k*lled me!
I'm lying here dead, Little Studio. Do you see my corpse? Can you please ask her to come back to the competition?
I'm begging you! I want to be k*lled hundreds more times by her performances! Please, make it happen! I would die a thousand deaths and still not regret it!]
Chen Feng: "......!"
These netizens are... something else.
[Wuwuwu, as a mother, I cried when I saw her in the competition. I'm also worried about her safety, but I still want to see her shine... Little Studio, can she enter another modelling competition? If she quits Angel Model, can she join another one?]
Chen Feng: "......"
They were even making requests now?
He put his phone down.
"Boss, forget what I said before. Something has happened to Xiao Baozi."
"She has been staying indoors during the typhoon—but she just dropped a bombshell online!"
"............"
'Angel Modelling Competition' aired its first episode on Saturday, September 9, coinciding with the typhoon weather in the coastal areas.
Due to the weather, many people were glued to social media, following news about the affected areas instead of watching TV.
Ratings for the usual Saturday variety shows plummeted, dropping below 0.5%.
The new variety show 'The Model' ended up at the bottom with a dismal rating of just 0.18%—a complete flop.
Desperate to salvage the situation, the production team released the second episode on Sunday, hoping to boost the ratings.
The result? 0.21%.
It was completely done for—might as well bury it.
But then—
Bao Ruanruan's typhoon safety live stream at the five-star hotel went viral.
It didn't just bring traffic to Chasing Dream—her newfound fans also flocked to Angel Model.
And when they saw her performance, they were shocked.
——Queen of the High-altitude Night Runway!
——Shallow-water snake-slaying warrior!
Absolutely breathtaking. Absolutely stunning.
And she still had that jaw-dropping ability to steal the spotlight!
Even casual viewers who tuned in were immediately hooked.
Then they laughed themselves to death.
[Double-sided tape, safety ropes, red strings, holding up her dress to prevent her from tripping... That's so you, Ruanruan!]
["Tears will blur your vision in the dark and increase the unnecessary risk factor..." Omg, that's too cute! I just fell into the mom fan trap!]
[A staff member asked her what she was doing, and she calmly replied, "Nothing, just adding some life-saving factors." Hahahahahaha.]
[This is hilarious. Are there survival tips for dealing with snakes in those four notebooks, too?]
[She's incredible! A snake's weak spot is at the seven-inch mark—its heart. Three inches up is the crucial vertebra that supports its head. Don't ask me how I know.]
[Absolute legend.]
New and old fans were laughing together.
Even the people who initially criticised Bao Ruanruan—calling her an attention-seeker for competing in a modelling show at 1.65 metres tall—had become her fans.
But then—
The preview of the next episode dropped a bombshell.
It announced that Bao Ruanruan was withdrawing from the competition.
She even recorded a separate video to explain.
"Hello, Angel Model viewers."
"It's with great regret that I announce my withdrawal from the competition. I'm really going to miss Sister Fang Lei, who taught me so much, and Sister Qian Xuezhou, who always wanted to go home with me. And, of course, all the stunning, long-legged, fair-skinned, unique, and beautiful ladies here."
"Every second spent with them made me feel like my life span was being extended."
[!]
[D*mn, what a poetic way to put it!]
"Their beauty has nourished my eyes, lowered my blood pressure, and delayed my ageing."
[??]
"Going forward, I'll continue to support them through their social media updates and future runway shows. I'll continue to enjoy the feeling that their beauty has extended my life. I also hope they will always be happy and safe and live long and healthy lives.
[??]
[Wait—this is the first time I've ever heard a young person say 'live long' unironically.]
"I'm withdrawing due to personal reasons—because I'm terrified."
"Standing at great heights, I just want to go home. When I see snakes, I can't help but tremble and want to scream for help..."
[???]
[WHO is afraid of snakes? Say it louder for the people in the back!]
On the screen, Bao Ruanruan tilted her delicate, milky-white face slightly.
Her clear, lake-like eyes blinked softly, revealing a hint of fragile helplessness.
Curled eyelashes landed on her eyelids like a butterfly flapping its wings.
Delicate, like a little fairy.
A fragile little fairy.
Delicate and pitifully charming.
"So, thank you all for your support. See you next time~"
At the end of the show, an off-screen voice from the production team apologised to her.
"Sorry, our show did not take into account the psychological well-being of the contestants. We forced you to overcome your fears, and we sincerely apologise. We will use safer competition formats in the future."
"We hope to have more opportunities to work with you again."
"Alright, alright. I wish you all good health, too."
[Pfft!]
[Hahaha, 'I wish you good health too'—I'm dying... I was just starting to feel sad!]
[A true talent. Bao Ruanruan, I'm following you on Weibo now. Keep up the good work!]
——[Since the production team apologised, is there still a chance to get her back into the competition?]
Tang Xi froze after posting this comment.
——Stop! How could she post that for Bao Ruanruan?
——Delete it!
——Leaving a comment on Weibo would be more effective!
*
That episode, filmed in a five-star hotel, ended with all the guests returning home safe and sound.
But the next day, they received a new mission card from the show.
Their weekend task had been deemed a failure!
"We're sorry, Teacher Bao Ruanruan."
"We required you all to do something related to your dreams together, but you didn't achieve that."
"So, you must now complete a new task. Otherwise, you will have to pay for the hotel suite expenses for the past two days—
a total of 36,000 yuan..."
Standing at her front door in shock, Bao Ruanruan's soft pink lips parted in disbelief.
She never expected to be hit with such a disaster the moment she opened the door.
Thirty-six thousand? Do you know how much bird's nest that could buy?
"I did exactly what I dreamed of!"
Bao Ruanruan looked straight into the camera, her fair little face filled with righteousness.
"My dream is to see the sun rise the next day. I paid attention to the thunderstorm. That aligns with—"
The cameraman's hands trembled slightly.
This time, it was clearly from laughter.
The female PD sighed helplessly. "Teacher Bao, you're fine. But the other teachers haven't worked towards their dreams…"
"Huh?"
"We needed all five of you to participate in a common activity in a way that reflected your individual dreams."
"But their dreams weren't watching TV, right?"
A look of utter despair flashed across Bao Ruanruan's milk-white face.
"So I have to split the hotel bill with them?"
"Yes."
Bao Ruanruan's eyes almost welled up with tears.
She could almost see her precious blood-red bird's nest waving goodbye, ready to set sail on a long journey!
"But, Teacher Bao, there is still a way to make up for it."
"We're giving you a new task: you and the other teachers must write and record a song about wind and rain. This song will be used as the closing theme of our show."
Bao Ruanruan understood immediately.
The next moment, a spark of determination lit up in her eyes—one that had never been there before.
So... if they succeeded, she wouldn't have to pay?
Her bird's nest wouldn't leave after all?
"I can do this."
Her delicate face turned serious as she nodded.
For the first time ever, she looked truly determined.
For the honour of bringing her bird's nest home, failure was not an option!
"I'll do my best this time." She clenched her fists.
"All right. Teacher Cheng Yao is already waiting for you all in the recording studio."
Author's Note:
Ruanruan: The road to survival is long and arduous. I will search high and low for it.
Footnotes Full List
- This is a Chinese proverb meaning that something terrible is about to happen. The wind howling through the buildings is a metaphor for the tension and anxiety that builds up before a disaster.
Tags:
DBAFSC
RuanRuan... I can't, I'm dying! That girl is too unique. Too adorable! Can I take her home?
ReplyDeleteTranslator-san, stop playing RL, come back and translate the next chapter, I'm in a hurry, seriously! :D