As Yun Qingqing finished chatting with the system, Ding Manni quietly gnawed her teeth in frustration.
Although Ding Manni’s family was rich, they weren’t on Gu Mingyan’s level—buying a castle for hundreds of millions just like that?
She not only missed the fun but also felt a subtle sting of being proven wrong.
Meng Xian’s emotions were more contained, but her hands quietly clenched at her sides.
“Still standing there?” Gu Mingyan ignored the stunned looks of others and tugged Yun Qingqing along. “Let’s go pick rooms.”
Yun Qingqing snapped back and remembered her suitcase at the door: “Okay, I’ll bring my luggage upstairs first.”
“No need,” Gu Mingyan said casually. “Servants will deliver it. Once we choose rooms, we’ll go soak in the hot springs. After that long ride, we’re exhausted.”
With that, she dragged an overjoyed Yun Qingqing upstairs without caring about anyone else’s reaction.
Originally, the show had only rented the main part of the castle; the luxurious natural hot spring bath inside wasn’t included.
Private facilities like this were meticulously maintained and normally closed to outsiders.
As the new owner, Gu Mingyan had no such concerns. After selecting rooms, they headed straight to the bath.
The cameraman assigned to follow Yun Qingqing and Gu Mingyan realized this was prime content and ran after them with the equipment.
Passing through an arched stone doorway, the view suddenly opened up.
Amidst the mist, a huge natural hot spring pool came into view. Its walls were built of white marble, and several bronze spouts shaped like beast heads continuously poured fresh water, filling the air with the scent of sulfur.
The livestream audience was blown away:
【You’re telling me this is a bath? It looks like a royal palace!】
【How much would it cost to build something like this? My imagination is broke.】
【Yun Qingqing’s face perfectly mirrors mine—shocked and dumbfounded.】
Yun Qingqing was indeed stunned.
She tugged Gu Mingyan’s sleeve, pointing to a row of attendants quietly standing by the pool: “Mingyan, what are they doing?”
Gu Mingyan glanced casually while testing the water temperature: “Oh, I hired some spa, beauty, and nail specialists. You can get a treatment while soaking.”
Yun Qingqing: “……”
Damn rich people. Finally, she was going to experience this kind of life!
To respect the guests’ privacy, the cameraman only took a brief sweep showing the luxurious environment, then moved to a spot at the entrance that captured the exterior without disturbing the two.
From this angle, the main castle building was also visible.
The livestream created a stark contrast:
On one side, a misty, almost fairytale-like luxury bath, with attendants serving drinks and tools;
On the other, other guest teams laboring to tidy up.
Ji Sihan and Nan Xu had drawn the best lot, but their suite was huge, so even basic tidying was exhausting;
Jiang Mingqian, eager to impress, ran up and down with Yu Ran carrying Meng Xian’s luggage;
The worst off were Meng Xian and Ding Manni—their rooms hadn’t been cleaned for ages. Ding Manni unwillingly held a rag, while Meng Xian carried a bucket, apparently ready to scrub.
Yu Ran, exhausted from carrying luggage, wiped sweat from his forehead.
He glanced up and saw yet another attendant carrying a fresh fruit platter into the bath. After a few seconds of stunned silence, he muttered:
“Wait… we’re filming the same show as them, right?”
The livestream comments exploded:
【The show’s effect is maxed out hhh—they don’t even look like they’re filming a show, more like on vacation.】
【Yun Qingqing: My luck may be bad, but my teammate is totally OP!】
【Others soak in hot springs and get SPAs, I make instant noodles and PPTs. We both have bright futures ahead.】
That night, after enjoying a professional SPA, sporting perfectly manicured nails and glowing, moisturized skin, Yun Qingqing, under the corrupting influence of capitalism, drifted into a sweet, blissful sleep.
The next morning, just as dawn broke…
Meng Xian was already up, dressed in her workout gear, jogging along the castle’s outer path. In the soft morning light, her graceful figure and disciplined posture were fully visible to the livestream audience who had been up early to watch.
【Wow, Meng Xian’s jogging so early? So disciplined!】
【The beauty really works hard, love her.】
【Meanwhile I’m still wriggling in bed…】
After her run, Meng Xian returned to the castle kitchen and, seeing breakfast supplies like frozen buns prepared by the production team, took it upon herself to heat them up.
As the other guests sleepily descended the stairs, rubbing sore arms, they were greeted by a table already set with steaming buns and soy milk, and Meng Xian’s gentle smile.
“Good morning, everyone. Breakfast is ready—eat while it’s hot,” she said with a smile.
Jiang Mingqian immediately looked touched: “Teacher Meng, thank you for the trouble.”
Meng Xian smiled politely, waving it off.
Her gaze casually swept toward the stairwell, a hint of just-right concern on her face: “Mingyan and Qingqing aren’t down yet? The buns will get cold soon.”
Her reminder made everyone notice that, indeed, Gu Mingyan and Yun Qingqing were absent.
Ding Manni snorted: “No way Gu Mingyan got up at this hour! Poor Qingqing’s unlucky—if she accidentally woke her, there’d be a world of trouble.”
Meng Xian’s eyes flickered slightly, suppressing a smile: “Don’t say that. Mingyan might just be tired. Let her sleep a little longer.”
The livestream comments quickly chimed in:
【Ding Manni’s harsh but accurate—Gu Mingyan’s temper in the morning must be huge.】
【Poor Yun Qingqing, stuck with a teammate like that. Fun when relaxing, hell when waking up.】
【The contrast is brutal—Meng Xian works hard to serve breakfast, while Yun Qingqing tiptoes around like a child.】
Driven by curiosity, a flood of viewers switched to Gu Mingyan and Yun Qingqing’s stream, eager to see how Yun Qingqing survived the wrath of the “sizeable lady.”
But what they saw left everyone dumbfounded.
In the luxurious bedrooms, Gu Mingyan and Yun Qingqing slept peacefully in their chosen rooms.
They seemed to have set alarms for the same time, but no matter how loud they rang, neither stirred an eyelid.
【Wait, do they have superpowers? The alarm rings and they don’t wake up?】
【Sleep quality goals! Rock solid!】
Time ticked by.
An hour later, Gu Mingyan rolled over but continued sleeping.
Next door, Yun Qingqing remained perfectly still, breathing evenly.
Another hour passed. Gu Mingyan finally groggily sat up, staring blankly as she woke.
Yun Qingqing, however, was still in the same position, sleeping as if the world had ended.
By the time Gu Mingyan finished washing and dressing, Yun Qingqing still hadn’t stirred.
Gu Mingyan walked to Yun Qingqing’s door, lightly knocked, and got no response, her concern starting to grow.
After a moment’s hesitation, she carefully reached over and placed her finger under Yun Qingqing’s nose.
Feeling the steady, warm breath, she exhaled in relief.
【LOL what’s Gu Mingyan doing? Checking Yun Qingqing’s breathing?】
【She’s sleeping so deeply I almost thought something happened to her.】
【Too funny—the lady personally verifying her teammate’s survival.】
The production team cautiously reminded them to gather, so Gu Mingyan patted Yun Qingqing on the shoulder: “Qingqing, wake up.”
No response.
She raised her voice: “Qingqing! The sun’s up!”
Still nothing.
Gu Mingyan arched an eyebrow, pinched Yun Qingqing’s nose, attempting a more “physical” wake-up.
Yun Qingqing only unconsciously opened her mouth to breathe, completely unresponsive.
Everyone had expected a morning-tantrum scene: Gu Mingyan raging, Yun Qingqing meekly apologetic with tears in her eyes.
Instead, it became Gu Mingyan pacing beside Yun Qingqing, baffled and helpless.
【LOL look at Gu Mingyan’s face, totally out of options.】
【The ultimate solution to the big lady’s morning temper: wake up later than her.】
【Interesting—a force to counter a force. Yun Qingqing’s sleep quality is unbeatable.】
Gu Mingyan was indeed at a loss. She crossed her arms, staring at Yun Qingqing glued to the mattress as if with industrial adhesive, thinking for a moment.
Then she took her leather purse and pulled out a small stack of cash.
Viewers in the livestream: “???”
Cash… for what?
Under countless confused gazes, Gu Mingyan returned to the bedside, holding the bills like bait.
Then a miracle happened.
At the faint rustle of the money, the previously dead-to-the-world Yun Qingqing suddenly opened her eyes!
Her gaze, clear and sharp, locked instinctively onto the cash.
Almost reflexively, she broke into a sweet smile at the sight of the enticing pink bills.
Gu Mingyan muttered “just as I thought,” and teasingly waved the money in front of Yun Qingqing.
Her eyes glued to the bills, Yun Qingqing followed them obediently.
Gu Mingyan slipped the cash into her hand: “Alright, money lover, get up.”
The livestream exploded:
【Woke up instantly—what medical miracle is this?!】
【Alarm clocks can’t wake her, but money can.】
【I’m so jealous! I want a friend who wakes me up with cash too.】
【I used to think Gu Mingyan’s temper was bad, never realized she’s generous too.】
Yun Qingqing hugged the bills to her chest and whispered to the system: “System, being a sidekick is amazing! No early alarm, just wake up surrounded by money—this is my dream life!”
The system, still thinking about its duties, weakly replied: 【Host, your oversleeping ruined the villainess’s original arc as the foiling counterpart, missing her public humiliation scene.】
“Unforgivable!” Yun Qingqing shouted in her mind. “Which villain dares pretend to be the lead and mess with my luck?”
System: 【……】
“And!” Yun Qingqing emphasized. “Stop calling Gu Mingyan a villainess. She’s my little money treasure!”
System: 【……】
Good grief, in her past life, the love of money must’ve become sentient.