This conversation ended on a sour note.
Xi Yue was finally so angered by Jiang Ning that he calmed down for two days and didn’t come looking for her again.
But two days later, the variety show finally began recording, and all the guests moved into the large villa provided by the production team.
This was a live-streamed group variety show that originally didn’t generate much buzz. However, with Xi Yue’s participation and the recent gossip, it gained immense popularity.
As soon as the broadcast started, countless fans who had been waiting flooded in.
【Front row!!】
【Sofa! Selling peanuts, beer, and drinks here!】
【Ahhh, why isn’t my Xi-ge out yet? This lousy show should stop introducing the background already—I want to see my Xi-ge!!】
【Is Jiang Ning really the new artist signed by Xi-ge’s agent? What’s her background? How does she get top-tier resources as soon as she makes a comeback?】
【Who knows? She doesn’t even have a Weibo account. Some fans in the super topic have been digging for days but still couldn’t find her background. Her active era was too long ago.】
【She was so pretty back then, and she must have been in school in her teens. Hasn’t anyone from her school or classmates revealed which school she attended?】
【Really, no one has (shrugs). Maybe she didn’t go to school, or she dropped out to act back then. Now, without a degree, she can’t make money, so she wants to make a comeback for cash.】
【Some people in the comments shouldn’t be so malicious toward a girl. Not having background information might just mean she wants to separate work and life. How can you justify doxxing her like this?】
【LOL, if you want to be a public figure, you should have the self-awareness of a public figure.】
The comments were noisy and chaotic. Even before the guests appeared, arguments had already broken out.
Some people were just watching the drama unfold, some were trying to mediate, and others were discussing what Jiang Ning looked like now—whether she was ugly or beautiful.
After the previous incident was clarified, fans no longer had any reason to attack Jiang Ning.
But as Xi Yue’s only junior from the same company and one of the only two artists signed by his agent, Jiang Ning’s status naturally aroused envy and jealousy.
The reason Jiang Ning’s background couldn’t be found was simply because she wasn’t from the mainland and had always attended elite private schools.
If a truly wealthy family wanted to protect the identity of its members, how could a bunch of netizens easily dig it up?
Netizens only knew that Xi Yue’s company, Xingyao, was a top-tier entertainment agency handling all kinds of premium resources. How could a nobody like Jiang Ning get such treatment as soon as she made a comeback?
Jiang Ning could practically stumble her way onto the path to success with her eyes closed.
In the entertainment industry, where talent, hard work, and luck are all indispensable, and even having all three doesn’t guarantee success, it’s a cutthroat world. Suddenly, someone appears who seems to have it all handed to them on a silver platter, naturally making some fans unhappy.
Fans stopped openly criticizing her, but the sarcastic remarks didn’t stop.
【If she’s not ugly, why hide her face? It’s not like it’s her butt that can’t be shown.】
【What exactly qualifies her to sign with Xingyao? I don’t believe she has no background.】
【Well, no background has been found so far, but who knows if there were any other shady deals involved? Hehehe.】
The comments were practically exploding.
The other guests in the livestream had already appeared.
When Xi Yue made his entrance, the comments reached a fever pitch.
Compared to the lively and energetic guests before him, Xi Yue didn’t even fight for the camera’s attention.
He raised a hand in greeting, then sat down on the side, leaning back in his chair like a boneless creature.
His long legs, which seemed to have nowhere to rest, were crossed, and his demeanor was calm and restrained, exuding a kind of decadent beauty.
Xi Yue’s face was truly unmatched, with fans flooding the screen in a frenzy.
[Ahhhhhh! My Xi-ge is still so handsome!]
[I just love Xi-ge’s half-dead vibe—there’s still no substitute for it in the entertainment industry.]
Finally, it was Jiang Ning’s turn to appear.
All the other guests had dressed up for the occasion, wanting to present their best selves to the fans.
The audience assumed Jiang Ning would do the same, instinctively scrutinizing her with the harshest standards.
But then.
The next second.
A fair, jade-like hand pushed open the door, followed by a sneaker-clad foot and a slender leg wrapped in jeans.
Jiang Ning walked into the livestream room wearing sneakers, jeans, a white T-shirt, and a high ponytail, greeting everyone.
“Hello, everyone.”
The barrage of comments, which had been buzzing just moments before, suddenly went silent as if the internet had cut out, nearly clearing the screen entirely.
Then, the comments went wild.
[Ahhhhhhhhh! Holy shit, that face!]
[Holy shit, that waist!!]
[Holy shit, those legs!!]
[Holy shit!… Wait, no—sister, come at me, I’m a lesbian!]
Amid the flood of exclamations born of shock, one comment finally voiced what everyone was thinking.
[Now I finally understand why Xingyao signed her…]
Jiang Ning’s face held a kind of fresh, stunning allure that even Xi Yue, who was constantly active in the entertainment industry, couldn’t match.
Her beauty was indescribable—her features were strikingly gorgeous, yet her expression was gentle. When she spoke, her voice was soft, creating a particularly strong contrast.
The audience was completely mesmerized.
[Why wasn’t this fresh talent served up to me sooner?!]
[What have you scouts been doing, eating dry rice all day? How could you let a girl with a face like this go unnoticed for so many years until she stepped out on her own??]
In the livestream room.
Jiang Ning was about to take her seat when she noticed everyone else was dressed formally and fell silent for a moment.
Shen Yiqiao, who had gotten along well with Jiang Ning over the past few days, couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Why did you come dressed like that?”
Faced with Shen Yiqiao’s teasing, Jiang Ning looked innocent.
“The director told me today’s game would involve a lot of physical activity, so that’s why I dressed like this.”
Shen Yiqiao: “Those jeans really suit you well.”
Jiang Ning replied honestly: “They’re the best-selling pair on Pinduoduo, 39.9 yuan. Do you want them? I can send you the link.”
Shen Yiqiao: “Yes, yes, yes!”
Meanwhile, Xi Yue sat expressionlessly, his peripheral glance sweeping toward Jiang Ning. Seeing her chatting back and forth with others, looking quite cheerful, he sneered inwardly.
Except with him, Jiang Ning really could talk to anyone.
Jiang Ning’s contrast and down-to-earth nature won over quite a few viewers.
[It’s just the introduction segment now—she can always change clothes later.]
[Hahaha, she’s so honest.]
[Sister, are you really not planning to open a Weibo account?! I want to follow you but have nowhere to go, wuwuwu.]
Some viewers still refused to believe Jiang Ning was genuinely simple.
She must have some ulterior motives!
So, they quickly took screenshots to search for the brands of her clothes and shoes, checking if they were high-end.
One viewer commented quietly in the barrage.
【The white T-shirt Jiang Ning is wearing is from our factory’s stock. I can tell because the side seam is crooked—only our factory’s products are like that, and it’s the top-selling white T-shirt online.】
【Sis, you really… I’m crying. Even though your seam is crooked, you bravely admitted it.】
Jiang Ning’s sneakers were also exposed—the top-selling white sneakers online.
Simple and plain, she just bought whatever had the highest sales.
Jiang Ning was now a poor soul with only thirty thousand yuan to her name. Before the show’s final payment came through, she could only buy a bunch of cheap items to rotate, lest she couldn’t even afford food.
The audience, however, felt conflicted.
Does this girl even know how to shop online? The highest sales don’t mean the best quality. Where on earth did she come from—some remote mountain area?
【I’m starting to understand why there’s no information about her online. If she just came out of the mountains, she really is cut off from the world.】
…
Once all the guests were in place, the director announced the ice-breaking team-building game for the first day.
A haunted house.
The guests were rubbing their hands together, ready to show off their skills, when the director added the rules.
“Three-legged race, extreme escape.”
Everyone: “??”
They were all Chinese words, but put together, they didn’t quite make sense.
Wei Lan widened her eyes and asked, “Wait… Director, if I’m not mistaken, you mean three people tied together, and then we have to do an extreme escape in a haunted house??”
Director: “That’s right, dear.”
Wei Lan: “…”
The director said with a smile, “Groups will be decided by drawing lots. Red cards are one group, blue cards are another. The team that finds the haunted house exit first wins. The losing team will all face punishment with a truth-or-dare game.”
A staff member brought over a lottery box.
Jiang Ning reached in and drew a card.
She looked at it—red.
She silently prayed not to be grouped with Xi Yue.
After Xi Yue drew his card, he revealed it.
Red.
Xi Yue seemed to sense Jiang Ning’s gaze and lazily raised an eyebrow at her.
From his expression, it was clear he was no longer angry and was already thinking of some mischief to bother her with.
Jiang Ning: “…”
She felt like her world had collapsed.