Zhao Biezhi was completely unaware of the office politics brewing at her company. Another half month had passed in the blink of an eye, and her studies were progressing better than ever while her livestreaming career was flourishing.
She now had nearly ten thousand followers, and a full day of streaming could bring in around four to five hundred yuan in gifts. After the fifty-fifty split with the platform, she’d still take home two to three hundred.
At this rate, by the time she returned to the orphanage for the New Year, she should have saved up seven or eight thousand.
She thought her peaceful days would continue uninterrupted, but early this morning, her manager Chen Yong called and told her to come to the company—there was a gig lined up for her.
“Huh?” Zhao Biezhi hadn’t even processed what she’d heard.
Did she wake up too fast? The stingy company was proactively offering her a gig?
Her first instinct was suspicion. Why would they suddenly send her on a job out of nowhere? It was hard to believe there wasn’t some scheme brewing behind it.
“I want to see you in the conference room on the third floor before ten. Don’t pull any more stunts!” Without waiting for her reply, Chen Yong hung up.
What could Zhao Biezhi do? She could only rush to get ready and head to the company. She hadn’t terminated her contract yet, after all, and there was no point in burning bridges completely.
As for what they actually wanted—she’d just have to find out when she got there.
Before leaving, she remembered to post an announcement on her streaming platform saying she was taking the day off due to other commitments, so her fans wouldn’t wait around for her.
The original owner of this body had a solid foundation to begin with—she would have been a striking presence even in the entertainment industry. Unfortunately, she was far too dull. She had no talent for singing, dancing, or acting, and the company wouldn’t give her any resources, so she naturally became a hidden gem lost in the crowd.
In the month-plus since Zhao Biezhi had taken over, she’d finally managed to nurse the body back to health. Her face had filled out properly, and her figure was perfectly proportioned. Even when she went out wearing a mask and hat, passersby couldn’t help but turn their heads for a second look.
…
The moment she stepped into the conference room, she saw Chen Yong with a grim expression. Zhao Biezhi instinctively glanced at her phone—it wasn’t ten yet. She wasn’t late.
Reassured that she hadn’t done anything wrong, she immediately felt emboldened. She gave Chen Yong a slight nod by way of greeting and took a seat on the opposite side of the conference table.
Seeing Zhao Biezhi looking so composed and at ease actually threw Chen Yong off a little.
Of course, what surprised him even more was her appearance.
Zhao Biezhi had been placed under Chen Yong’s management at the same time as Xin Yun when she first signed with the company. To be fair, she really did have a stunning face—even Xin Yun couldn’t compare.
Unfortunately, Zhao Biezhi was an orphan. Growing up in an orphanage had left her with an inescapable sense of inferiority and timidity.
There was no denying that temperament had a tremendous impact on a person.
Take Xin Yun, for example. She wasn’t the most beautiful, but she carried herself with an effortless composure that made people instinctively want to draw closer to her and follow her lead.
And Zhao Biezhi? She was good-looking, sure, but her temperament dragged her down, and she was indecisive in everything she did.
Within half a year of signing her, Chen Yong had realized she was a wooden beauty—someone who couldn’t be propped up no matter how hard you tried.
But now, after a month and a half of rest and recuperation, Zhao Biezhi was nearly at her peak condition. Most importantly, she had finally shed that lifeless, dreary aura and become far more vibrant. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say her bright eyes and white teeth sparkled with radiance.
Even Chen Yong, who was used to seeing beauties in the Domestic Entertainment Industry, couldn’t help but pause for a moment when he saw her. He inwardly sighed with relief that he had taken Xin Yun’s advice—perhaps this bad hand of cards that was Zhao Biezhi really could be played to a different effect.
He quickly snapped back to reality, furrowed his brow, and as soon as he spoke, his tone unconsciously carried a hint of suppression and reproach: “Do you know why I called you here today?”
Zhao Biezhi raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself, How am I supposed to know what kind of fit you’re throwing all of a sudden? And there’s actually a gig involved—it’s not like you’re trying to send me into the sea, are you?
For that reason, she had taken an extra precaution, recording the conversation on her phone. If the other party tried to play rough, she would just go down fighting with him.
But on the surface, she obediently nodded. “Brother Yong, you said there was a gig for me to attend.”
Unexpectedly, the moment those words left her mouth, Chen Yong slammed his hand hard on the table.
“You have the nerve to bring up the gig? Zhao Biezhi, what is that brain of yours, a glass marble? Not a single wrinkle on it. Whatever anyone tells you, you just believe it? You actually listened to someone like Xu Qianqian?”
Zhao Biezhi didn’t respond, just waiting for Chen Yong to continue.
“Now look what’s happened. Xu Qianqian’s blown up thanks to that fluffy romance drama. And you? Still sitting at home all day, eating and waiting to die!”
Xu Qianqian? Regarding that frequently appearing name, Zhao Biezhi did have some vague recollection.
If she remembered correctly, that should be the malicious colleague who had previously urged the original owner to lose weight. Judging by Chen Yong’s meaning, the fluffy romance drama that the other woman had become famous with was originally her own resource?
The other party’s next words confirmed her speculation.
“My Little Hours with You was originally meant for you to audition for, but halfway through, those two bastards Zheng Chong and Xu Qianqian snatched it away.” Chen Yong sneered.
Zhao Biezhi suddenly understood, but at the same time, she felt a trace of mockery toward Chen Yong. A resource getting snatched halfway through is your problem as the agent, isn’t it? What does that have to do with me, a bottom-tier artist? I didn’t even hear about it.
Unable to get a single word out of her, Chen Yong grew even more irritated. He was about to sternly rebuke her when he looked up and met a pair of dark, half-smiling eyes.
The scolding words caught in his throat and stalled. Under that clear, bright gaze, a sudden pang of guilt rose in Chen Yong.
But he quickly recovered, thinking, Why should I be afraid of Zhao Biezhi?
Still, thanks to that interruption, most of the fire in Chen Yong’s chest had dissipated. He reached up and rubbed his brow, saying in a resigned tone, “There’s a spot as a regular cast member on a variety show. Go give it a try.”
At those words, it was Zhao Biezhi’s turn to be surprised.
Her eyes flew wide open, and she pointed at herself in disbelief. “Me?”
“What kind of variety show?” A bad feeling suddenly crept over Zhao Biezhi.
“A farming variety show.” As he spoke, Chen Yong tossed the planning document for Treasure-Like Countryside over to Zhao Biezhi.
She quickly grabbed the document and flipped through it, growing more shocked the more she read. The reason was simple—this show was far too novel.
In short, she and four other guests would need to use the six months from early March to the end of August, working from spring planting through late summer, to labor on fifty mu of land provided by the production team, and ultimately use the money from selling their crops to repay the living expenses of the five of them during the filming period.
Too ahead of its time. This kind of show was still too ahead of its time for the Domestic Entertainment Industry.
Most importantly, the number of guests on this show was also strangely set.
Four men and one woman—what kind of setup was this? Were they trying to simulate some otome game?
“I’ve fought for this opportunity for you—whether you can seize it is your own business.” Chen Yong raised his chin, putting on the air of someone who had done all he could.
But the problem was, Zhao Biezhi had never planned to take on any gigs at all! She was just waiting to finish the civil service exam and then gracefully terminate her contract and run.
So right now, the best thing the company could do was leave her alone when there was nothing, and especially leave her alone when there was something. She just wanted to coast on her base salary and lie flat—she had no interest in chasing dreams in the entertainment industry.
Besides, this four-men-one-woman setup was way too gimmicky. Wouldn’t she just get used as a target and torn to shreds by critics?
Seeing that Zhao Biezhi hadn’t responded for a long while, Chen Yong looked at her with growing impatience, and happened to catch the flicker of irritation and resistance that flashed across her face.
“What do you mean? You don’t want to go?” Chen Yong’s voice shot up immediately. “Do you know how rare this opportunity is? An artist as unknown as you, practically indistinguishable from a regular civilian, getting a permanent spot on a variety show—that’s your ancestors’ graves smoking with good fortune!”
Zhao Biezhi’s ears were numbed by his shout, ringing with a buzz. She had to reach up and rub her right ear, and the look she gave Chen Yong carried a few more degrees of impatience.
Judging by Chen Yong’s stance, she didn’t have a choice—she had to go.
Zhao Biezhi lowered her head and carefully flipped through the proposal again. Filming started in early March and ended at the end of August. During that period, guests were required to stay continuously at the farmhouse on the filming site, but they could request leave in the middle if needed.
And conveniently enough, the filming location was in S City—and the original body’s hometown was S City. The provincial exam Zhao Biezhi was preparing for was also S City’s provincial exam.
Calculating the timeline, the variety show filming would start not long after the written exam ended, and the official start date for civil servants was usually September each year. The show ended at the end of August, so there was no conflict in timing.
Most importantly, the position Zhao Biezhi had applied for happened to be at the local Bureau of Culture and Tourism. If this variety show really was about genuinely farming, as the proposal claimed, it might actually give a boost to the local cultural tourism industry.
The original book’s plot had never mentioned the original host appearing on this show. Could it be that the plot had shifted after she transmigrated into the book?
In just one minute, Zhao Biezhi’s thoughts had already taken several turns.
The farming variety show currently looked fairly legitimate, and if she accepted it, it meant she’d have a stable gig for at least half a year—which meant the forced-sleeping plot wouldn’t happen for now.
Zhao Biezhi had been raised by her grandmother as a child, and she’d spent plenty of time working in the fields in the countryside. She had a bit of childhood skill to draw on.
Thinking about it that way, going to farm was actually the most cost-effective choice.
Finally, just before Chen Yong’s patience ran out, he heard a light, airy reply drift over from the side.
“Fine, I’ll give it a try then.”
…
Coming out of the company, Zhao Biezhi was about to leave when her steps suddenly faltered.
Strange—why did it feel like someone was watching her?
She looked around left and right but couldn’t find the source of the gaze. So she shook her head, chiding herself for being paranoid. She was just a nobody—who would pay attention to her?
Meanwhile, on a nearby van, a pretty face twisted as it stared fixedly at the figure by the flower bed.
“Zhao Biezhi? Why is she here?”
A flicker of guilt passed through Xu Qianqian’s eyes, but it quickly turned into mockery.
“Hmph, the deed is done. Even if she knows, what can she do about it?”
Still, she couldn’t quite put her worries to rest. Turning to her assistant beside her, she said, “Xiao Wen, ask Brother Zheng about Zhao Biezhi’s recent schedule.”
“Got it, Sister Qianqian.” The female assistant nodded.