The live stream chat was filled with all sorts of people. The phrase “Ban Shang Lu” kept scrolling across the screen—some were intentionally stirring up drama, while others were just copying for fun.
Of course, there were also those who enjoyed Shang Lu’s videos, completely disregarding the so-called conflicts of interest. As long as there were videos to watch, they were happy.
Most people, however, were just netizens there for the spectacle.
In the live stream, a fox plushie was held by a pair of hands, swaying left and right, almost as if mocking certain individuals.
“Getting impatient, are we? Some people are so eager. I haven’t even introduced myself yet, and you’re already restless?” Shang Lu’s tone was full of confusion, with sarcasm levels maxed out!
The comments scrolled even faster. [Hahaha, some people are really worked up. So funny—it’s just a video, no need to be so desperate. How embarrassing.]
[The host’s words are so savage. Even I’m getting a bit annoyed listening. Some people must be even angrier, right?]
[Trash Shang Lu, get out of Dou Dong! Trash Shang Lu, get out of Dou Dong!]
[Am I the only one curious about where the host came from? I heard some big shots are digging into it. Are you really a man?]
[Host, show your face. Why aren’t you showing your face?]
The fox plushie bounced around, moving closer to the camera. It tilted its head.
“I’m a woman, not a man. As for where I’m from or what I look like, none of that matters. After all, you only need to know if the food tastes good, not whether the chef is good-looking.”
[Hahaha, the host is so funny. As long as you keep making videos, I don’t care if you look like an octopus.]
[Heh, I bet you’re too ugly to show your face.]
[Wow, there are so many haters here. Host, I support you. Can you release the third episode faster? Without a video to watch while eating, my meals just don’t taste as good.]
As the live stream viewer count reached 100,000, Shang Lu moved the fox plushie farther away.
“A lot of people have been saying this account belongs to a company. I want to clarify here that this is just my personal account. I’ll continue posting videos in the future, but not just videos—there will also be some promotional content. You can look forward to it.
Also, at 8 p.m., ‘I Really Didn’t Expect That’ will release two episodes back-to-back as a treat for the fans. You can look forward to that too. Alright, I’m signing off now. Bye.”
Without warning, the live stream suddenly went black, leaving everyone stunned.
[Ah, that’s it? You’re ending the stream already? Don’t go! It hasn’t even been ten minutes, right?]
[Great! I’ll wait until 8 p.m. to eat.]
[Get lost, brain-dead fans. You’re all insane.]
[Scatter, scatter. I thought there’d be some big news. I’m out.]
Because Shang Lu’s live stream was so short, many fans missed it. However, those with ulterior motives secretly recorded it, and within half an hour, they had edited new videos to stir up drama.
One of the instigators was a blogger named “Da Pengzi.”
“Hello everyone, it’s your Da Pengzi here. You all know about the blogger who’s been trending lately, right? They just went live, and I happened to catch a glimpse. You know what? I have a keen eye for these things, and I actually discovered their big secret!”
Although he didn’t mention any names, his words heavily implied that Shang Lu was backed by a company and that her account was definitely not personal.
For netizens who disliked Shang Lu, this became their ammunition to attack her.
But for some people, whether Shang Lu had a company behind her didn’t matter at all—as long as the videos were entertaining.
“Da Pengzi” was merely the spark; what truly ignited the public opinion was “Brother Dashan” liking the video and commenting with just two words: “Awesome!” This sent the users of [Dou Dong] into an uproar.
At that time, the internet environment was relatively conservative. People were quite resistant to so-called companies and teams, and Shang Lu’s “lying” behavior particularly struck a nerve.
“Da Pengzi” felt emboldened because he hadn’t explicitly named anyone and wasn’t afraid of Shang Lu suing him.
In fact, Shang Lu had no mind to deal with this matter at the moment. What troubled her most was securing sponsors for her new drama.
Although Just Didn’t Expect had raised her profile, it was only a web series—good for earning some pocket money but hardly enough to build a proper foundation.
Most importantly, she was severely short on people. Where could she go to assemble her own team?
The most cost-effective method was naturally to find classmates from school.
But Shang Lu’s situation was a bit awkward. She was quite famous at school, though infamously so. Those she was interested in weren’t interested in her.
At this point, she genuinely wished for a golden finger. She clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and made a wish: “Oh, transmigration deity, I’m very easy to please. I’m not picky at all. Just give me any golden finger you like, please, please.”
“Knock, knock, knock.” Shang Lu was startled by the sudden sound. Could it be? Had the transmigration deity really answered her prayer?
She widened her eyes and checked herself—nothing extra had appeared on her body. “Knock, knock, knock.” The sound came again. Oh, it was just someone knocking on the door.
Shang Lu pouted. Being reborn was already a miracle—how could there be any other golden finger?
She got up to answer the door. Peering through the peephole, she saw what appeared to be a girl in a yellow dress. Well, she hadn’t told anyone her current address, so it couldn’t be an acquaintance.
“Hello, can I help you?”
Shang Lu opened the door and finally got a clear look at the other person’s face. She seemed young, with a round face, standing under 160 cm tall, yet with a curvaceous figure. She looked quite adorable, and Shang Lu had a soft spot for cute girls—her heart melted at the sight.
But as soon as the girl spoke, something felt off.
“Hey, sis, I went out to throw the trash and accidentally locked myself out. My phone isn’t with me either. Um, this is a bit embarrassing, but could I borrow your phone to call a locksmith? Don’t worry, I won’t touch your phone—you can dial for me.”
Seeing the slippers on her feet and her slightly damp hair, Shang Lu found her story somewhat believable.
She took out her phone and dialed the number from a nearby small ad. The call was quickly answered.
Relieved by Shang Lu’s initiative, the girl sighed.
“Great, I really met a kind person. I, um, thank you so much. Otherwise, I’d have to sleep on the streets tonight.”
The locksmith would take a while to arrive. Shang Lu couldn’t just walk away from a beauty, even if this one spoke with a strong rustic accent. But she was too pretty, and Shang Lu couldn’t bring herself to leave her standing at the door.
“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Sun Ruhui, a student at Shenying University, majoring in screenwriting. How about you?”
Screenwriting?
Shang Lu’s eyes lit up, her lips curling slightly as her attitude grew even more enthusiastic.
“Screenwriting? What a coincidence! I’m also a student at Shenying University, majoring in directing!”
Sun Ruhui smiled as well. “That’s quite a coincidence. Looks like I’m pretty lucky today, running into a fellow student. Judging by your appearance, you must be a freshman, right? I’m graduating this year, so if there’s anything you’re unsure about, feel free to ask me.”
Though she looked soft and cute on the outside, her personality was quite straightforward. Shang Lu simply invited her into the house.
“That’s great, senior! There’s actually something I’d like to discuss with you.”