Chapter 86: 86. The Actress Whose Reputation Lies in Ruins (1) Part 2

【The post was only up for one night before it got deleted. Not many people saw it, so it didn’t spread far. I didn’t buy it at first, but now Teacher Shen’s on this variety show? Gotta be true.】

【But Bai Qian’s clashed with Teacher Shen before—why invite her specifically? And why’d Teacher Shen say yes? If memory serves, this is her first variety gig since debuting, right?】

【Right! Doesn’t Teacher Shen never do these shows? What changed?】

【Everyone done? Can I start shipping now? CP name locked in: Thrifty CP, the GOAT! Wanna see that outwardly mild but secretly aloof ice queen utterly spoiling her whiny, needy little drama queen? Join the Thrifty CP super topic pronto and let’s crank out the content together!】

【Rallying shippers with zero fodder? Out with you—don’t come back without a hundred fanfics (with smut)!】

【Teacher Shen: Ptui! Talk about bad luck!】

This variety show stood apart from the others in one crucial way.

Like any program team, the “Did They Make Up Today?” crew handed out scripts to the guests.

But the “Did They Make Up Today?” script was dead simple.

It laid out the required interaction vibe for each guest pair across the weeks.

Week one: conflict and friction. Week two: understanding and shifts in perspective. Week three: getting to know each other and coexisting. The final week: reluctance and goodbyes.

How exactly they played it out? The program team stayed hands-off.

~~~

—As long as the guests nailed those phase transitions on cue, scripted or sincere, and sold it to the fans while holding steady or spiking the ratings, all was good.

The live stream pulled huge numbers, hundreds of comments whipping past every second. So Bai Qian, squarely in most viewers’ sights, had no clue that by the time she’d strolled from the island entrance to the villa’s front gate, fans had already spun up a full super topic shipping her with the future roommate she hadn’t even met.

Her face betrayed nothing, but inside, anticipation bubbled for the encounter ahead.

As the Guardian, her mission in this world was to rewrite the Female Protagonist’s tragic end from the Original Plot.

This world’s Female Protagonist was a powerhouse actress, beloved for her talent and character alike.

She’d debuted at eight—twenty years back, right on the dot.

Through those two decades, she’d sharpened her craft, racking up awards left and right.

By twenty-eight, folks were calling her “Teacher Shen,” a testament to her universal acclaim.

She’d cruised effortlessly through the first half of life, only to crash spectacularly at the hands of a male idol fresh from a survival show.

After that, “Teacher Shen” faded from the spotlight forever.

Bai Qian had slipped into this world just yesterday.

The Original Host’s beef with the Female Protagonist was exactly as that barrage veteran had spilled: a blowup on set.

The Little Drama Queen, rotten with pampering, naturally nursed a grudge after getting dressed down publicly.

But she couldn’t strike back—Shen Yunchu’s concealed background ran deeper than anyone guessed.

Can’t beat ’em? Avoid ’em.

No contact since.

Which left Bai Qian a touch adrift upon arrival.

Shen Yunchu, much like the Original Host, wanted zero ties to such a flighty “non-professional.” Dropping by cold? She’d be booted out like an idiot.

Pondering her next move, her phone pinged with a text.

It was a message from the program team, notifying her that live streaming would officially begin tomorrow.

The moment Bai Qian saw the text, she suddenly remembered she was set to participate in Reconciliation.

At the same time, it hit her that the female protagonist would be joining this variety show too.

Evidently, from this point onward, everything was about to change.

After all, the original plot had no such program as Did They Make Up Today?

Bai Qian was thrilled.

This meant her guardianship mission would probably be far easier to complete.

Her original plan had been to patch things up with Shen Yunchu somehow, forge a genuine friendship, and ultimately stop her from taking on the role of flying guest mentor in next year’s boy band survival show—the one that would define the rest of her life.

Now, with both of them cast in the same variety show and the program team handing out scripts, it all felt like the perfect setup for her guardianship to succeed.

—Early on, she’d stick to the original host’s persona, playing up her role as the little drama queen Shen Yunchu despised.

—Later, once the scripts shifted, she could leverage the program team’s directives to pivot her attitude naturally and draw truly close to Shen Yunchu.

With her path forward mapped out, Bai Qian finally let go of her worries.

~~~

The villa was only two stories, but each floor offered plenty of room to move around.

The ground floor was packed with rooms, every door bearing a plaque that spelled out its function—gym, entertainment lounge, private mini-theater, that sort of thing.

Upstairs held just three bedrooms for sleeping.

The program team’s weekly challenges dropped every Sunday, announced the night before via the lobby speakers.

No one was downstairs when Bai Qian stepped inside; the place was dead quiet.

Which made it all the easier to catch the faint, godawful warbling drifting from the KTV room—like a handsaw butchering a tree trunk.

Soundproofing in the villa was top-notch. Shut your door, and the folks next door wouldn’t hear a peep.

Bai Qian could pick up the off-key singing only because the door was cracked open just a sliver.

Curiosity piqued, she headed toward the noise.

The closer she got to the KTV room, the wilder the comment barrage flew.

【Wifey in danger!!!】

【Run away, wifey!!!】

【Qianqian, nooo!!! You’ll regret this for life!!!】

【Derailing here, but that curious look on baby is adorable—I wanna squish her cheeks so bad.】

【He Nianyou stans, can you rein in your idol? It’s this atrocious and you’re still hyping it as a ‘voice of heaven’?】

【When a prissy little drama queen collides with a tone-deaf ‘chainsaw soprano,’ what fireworks will erupt? Tune in—the reveal’s coming in one minute.】

【Back again. Shipworthy CP? CP name TBD, but if yes, I’m claiming the hashtag right now.】

【Upstairs, you ship everyone? Not with my Qianqian. He Nianyou’s singing is torture—no way my baby endures that for life.】

【Chi Hua can suffer through it. Shippers, pair her tight with He Nianyou—the program team’s already nudging that way. If Qianqian needs a CP here, Teacher Shen’s the only option!】

Bai Qian reached the door and laid her hand on its heavy surface.

The instant it swung open, that hellish caterwauling hit like an invisible haymaker, flattening the innocent little kitten who’d blundered into no-man’s-land flat on her butt.

【Dead, I’m dying, who gets it?】

【Sorry baby, Mama swears she didn’t mean to laugh… but HAHAHAHAHAHA】

【Screen-recording pro here. Want the GIF of wifey getting spooked right onto her ass? DM me on VX for the freebie, sisters.】

【OP, Shen teacher stan—hook me up?】

【How is wifey this cute? Coming in for another virtual cheek-squish.】

No backing track inside—He Nianyou was belting it out a cappella.

Bai Qian’s tumble made enough racket to snap the woman out of her eyes-closed reverie. She blinked toward the doorway and the unexpected visitor.

Spotting who it was, a glint flickered in her eyes. She hurried over.

First, she helped Bai Qian to her feet.

Then gave her a thorough once-over.

The comments blew up before Bai Qian could even process it.

【Back off my wifey!!!】

【What the hell is He Nianyou doing? Rude much?】

【Shoo! Shoo!!!】

He Nianyou’s stare matched her vibe: pure, untainted innocence.

Those big, round gray eyes carried not a trace of anything off-putting.

Bai Qian found herself being stared at so intently that she suddenly felt as if the girl in front of her resembled a rather dim-witted little doggy.

She didn’t find it repulsive—which didn’t mean she liked it, either.

She took a step back, putting some distance between them.

The original host had been a little drama queen. In a situation like this—

The woman’s beautiful almond eyes narrowed slightly in dissatisfaction. What should have been an obnoxious, commanding tone was softened by her sweet, clear voice, laced with a soft petulance that made it impossible for anyone to take offense.

“It’s all because of you that I fell. You have to apologize to me.”

【Is this what you call a drama queen? Where’s the drama?】

【Bai Qian is a light coffee-colored little milk cat. In the quiet afternoon, she lay peacefully on the sofa, eyes closed in sleep. Sunlight spilled into the room as her owner returned from work. Because the kitten’s fur blended so seamlessly with the sofa, the weary owner didn’t notice and accidentally sat right on her tail. The once-lazy little milk cat exploded in a puff of fur, both angry and aggrieved as she burrowed into her detestable owner’s arms. With her tender, fluffy paws, she scratched harmlessly at the owner’s clothes, meowing pitifully—all while the adorable kitten, convinced she was terrifying, had no idea that her milkily fierce glare only made her owner ponder how to soothe her, scoop her up, and nuzzle her to his heart’s content.】

【What made the upstairs lady quit writing back in the day?】

【Fast-forward to milk cat turning human play.jpg】

【Furry fans, unite!】

【Is this the power of Bai Qian’s fans? I’m in awe—gimme more, gimme more!】

He Nianyou finished taking her in and heard the demand for an apology. Subconsciously, she replied in perfect obedience. “Sorry.”

The little drama queen wasn’t having it. “Too quiet! Is that how you apologize? Not sincere at all.”

“Sorry!” He Nianyou raised her voice a touch.

Only then did Bai Qian seem somewhat appeased. She gave her a casual glance. “Who are you?”

He Nianyou introduced herself first, then asked with barely contained excitement, “I know you—you’re Bai Qian, aren’t you?”

“You know me?”

The girl nodded vigorously, several times over. “I love your acting. I’ve seen every single one of your dramas. You’re incredible, especially that grassland confrontation scene with Shen Yunchu in Lord-Pleasing Porcelain. It was perfection! You utterly crushed her. Her skills are so lackluster—she couldn’t even keep up with you. Thank goodness you never worked together again, or you’d just be wasting everyone’s time.”

Bai Qian: ???