Chapter 17

Gu Liuguang returned home and began to doubt her life, feeling that there was no need for her, as the villain, to work so hard.

Going to work was just too miserable.

Gu Liuguang thought that Xiao Yao had even told her this industry was one of the better ones, where groups with good revenue could earn over ten thousand a month per person.

Gu Liuguang vigorously massaged her legs while venting to the System. If she were the Original Host, she probably would have made the same choice as the Original Host, just without dumping Lin Zhenshuang and Lin Shixia.

The System discussed it with her: 【You have the God’s perspective and the full script, so you won’t dump them. Without that, you might think, “The next one might have even more money.”】

Gu Liuguang’s massaging slowed down, and she asked in some confusion: 【Do I seem like that kind of person?】

The System fell silent, but Gu Liuguang did not mind. She picked up her tablet and started playing Heavenly Dao. The plot had fully unfolded by now, with the protagonist group fighting the villains on one side while investigating the truth of the immortal-demon war from a hundred years ago. Yao Xia would appear at key moments, either advancing or disrupting the protagonist group’s pace.

Online opinions on the “Yao Xia” role were mixed, with plenty of analytical posts about the character. This was a good trend—actors weren’t afraid of a role being so bad it lost revenue; they were afraid of it making no splash at all.

Gu Liuguang liked and upvoted the interesting ones, even making a request to the System to pick an immortal cultivation world for her to experience.

The System sent her the repaired photo and the edited video. Gu Liuguang casually posted them on Weibo, and the likes broke ten thousand in just a few minutes.

As for the Douyin video views, they were ridiculously high. She had said long ago that Lin Shixia’s face had no substitute across the entire internet. Without any weird filters or beautification, it was super striking, and she wouldn’t lose out in photos with anyone.

No matter if passersby had watched Lin Shixia’s roles or not, just hearing Lin Shixia’s name would bring that pure and otherworldly face—like morning dew on a water fairy—to mind. It was the level where the person was more famous than her works.

Seeing Gu Liuguang staring at Lin Shixia’s photo in a daze, the System could not help but speak up: 【What are you thinking about?】

【Nothing.】 Gu Liuguang withdrew her gaze and brushed it off, switching to check the meager earnings in her Douyin backend. She felt it was more important to hook up with Lin Shixia sooner—otherwise, always wearing the company’s clothes, she might actually develop an allergy someday.

Moreover…

“The clothes today chafed me so much. Is there something wrong with my body?” Gu Liuguang asked uncertainly. Back in the countryside, she could mess around all she wanted without issue.

The System replied: 【We’re all made according to the host’s body data, so there won’t be any problems. If the host isn’t reassured, you can get a full-body checkup.】

A full-body checkup wasn’t cheap either.

Gu Liuguang’s lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing and had the System order her a strawberry ice cream and a latte.

She had rested enough. It was time to get back to “work” properly.

Gu Liuguang began screening today’s “top contributor.” After a full hour of selection—this was even with some replying in seconds—she added five more WeChat contacts.

The high-intensity live streams and post-stream work left Gu Liuguang a bit tired, and she did not want to type, so she replied to messages with voice notes. She also had no awareness of maintaining her personal image.

During streams, Gu Liuguang was not completely silent either. When it came to the PK segment and gifts put her in the lead, Zhang Ze would pass her the mic to say some words of thanks.

Whenever it was her turn to speak, the live chat would scroll so fast she could not see what was being said. She could only go by feel, thanking the audience in the live room as if they were Lin Shixia, responding at most to special barrages that floated by.

Gu Liuguang held down the voice key and sent voice messages, her voice soft and lingering, with a bit of nasal tone, like coquettishly whispering in someone’s ear while lying on their pillow.

She was prepared for the rich ones’ “arrogance,” expecting it to take one or two hours, or even until the next day.

But for some reason, these big sisters were extra responsive today. Messages poured in one after another, her phone kept ringing, and one even sent a video directly. She rejected it without thinking and ignored the message, sticking to her own pace.

Gu Liuguang found it annoying and was also worried one of them might be Lin Shixia, who could get upset if kept waiting too long.

As it turned out, people could find ways when pushed. Following Xiao Yao’s method, she first asked those who seemed like they could be Lin Shixia—but whose Moments had no further info—to send photos or pics of other body parts.

She was fairly familiar with Lin Shixia’s body, especially those hands, beautiful like art collectibles, with even the nails a healthy pale pink, like lotus petals.

But whenever she asked them to send some photos, they would accompany them with words Gu Liuguang did not understand but felt loaded with meaning.

She asked the System, and after a moment of silence, it told her: 【They’re driving.】

It had not expected its host to only understand crude stuff and not appreciate the finer innuendos…

Not only was the host semi-illiterate who only got the crude stuff, but she even snapped back caringly: 【Is your language function glitching?】

Before the System could figure out how to explain in more detail, Gu Liuguang had already lost interest in the topic. She chose to cold-shoulder the ones she had ruled out and those she did not understand—she only needed to care about Lin Shixia. Whether she won PKs or had good revenue did not matter to her.

This eliminated over half right away. She judged the rest by location and finally narrowed it down to three accounts that seemed like possible Lin Shixias.

The first was named Fox Symbol, with an avatar of a somewhat dim landscape photo in dark tones where black met deep blue. Zooming in, it looked like a sunrise shot from a mountaintop.

The second was Heartthrob Player, whose avatar was probably a character from some anime—a vibrant, cute, chubby girl with fluffy ears of some unclear animal on her head.

The third was Please Hide Your Heart Well, with an avatar seemingly from a music festival site: blurry fluorescent sticks waving, and the stage faintly showing the English letters “Summer.”

These three had almost no Moments info. Gu Liuguang even suspected she had been blocked.

By first impressions, she felt the second matched her image of Lin Shixia better, but the third’s avatar had the word “Summer,” which she thought must have some deeper meaning.

If not for her frequent lurking in Lin Shixia’s Super Topic lately, she might have overlooked “Summer,” so Gu Liuguang took it as fate.

As for the first, it was actually the least like Lin Shixia. But when she asked for a photo, they sent one that seemed from a set in Hengdian. Combined with the chat content, it looked a lot like industry staff.

Though she felt the first’s tone was not like Lin Shixia either, what if Lin Shixia was like that privately?

【fox: [Set photo.jpg]】

【fox: Not convenient now. I’ll send others when I get back, okay?】

After agonizing a bit, Gu Liuguang finally replied with “Okay.” She wanted to see more photos to confirm.

The second sent a back-view photo, whose outfit contrasted sharply with her avatar and name: a swimsuit shot, standing slightly sideways, thin straps crossing at the back in an oddly ambiguous way, exposing a large expanse of beautiful bare back, down to pretty dimples and snow-white, full, perky curves that looked very enticing.

Whether due to the angle or squeezing, a bit of shy cleavage and snowiness was visible. Barefoot on the beach, with a white flower tucked in her hair, head slightly turned, long hair covering most of her face, only the outline of one eye visible.

Gu Liuguang immediately compared it to Lin Shixia’s photos. Conclusion: extremely similar, practically identical—but—

【Lin Shixia doesn’t have that tear mole!】

Gu Liuguang kept comparing the photo to Lin Shixia’s. Though it was just one tear mole difference, makeup was possible—concealer to cover, or makeup to add one.

Her stylist had wanted to give her one too, but she firmly refused every time.

【Heartthrob Player: Little Light, do you like this type?】

Gu Liuguang was very quick on the uptake. Far from satisfied, she climbed the pole smoothly: 【I like big sister no matter what she looks like. Can I see your face?】

【Heartthrob Player: If it’s what Little Light wants, I’ll show you. Tomorrow okay for Little Light?】

Gu Liuguang was just about to try wheedling more when the next message came.

【Heartthrob Player: I want to see Little Light’s photo too. The kind not in Moments.】

Gu Liuguang frowned, not very willing to send a photo, but her hands honestly replied “Okay.”

The third’s photo seemed like stock: a huge living room or screening room without the main lights on, facing a large projector screen playing a movie or video. The person sat right in the center, looking a bit empty.

Gu Liuguang zoomed in and had the System enhance the quality, but could only barely make out that the person was very slim, appearing even more slender in the empty screening room, with long hair casually clipped back.

This photo gave even less info than the first’s. At least the first specified Hengdian Film City, which matched Lin Shixia.

What matched for this one was probably just long hair and good family conditions.

Gu Liuguang agonized. Lin Shixia did have long hair, and that lonely, desolate vibe could be forced to fit—but only after being dumped by her.

【Please Hide Your Heart Well: Little Baby, satisfied with what you saw? [Cute laugh.jpg]】

【Please Hide Your Heart Well: Or, Little Light, what kind of photo do you want? I can take one fresh for you? [Smile.jpg]】

【Please Hide Your Heart Well: But Little Light has to trade a photo for it.】

She got plenty of info, but could not screen out a single one. Instead, all three wanted her photo.

Gu Liuguang asked the System: 【Lin Shixia isn’t among these three?】

The System gave a machine-like response: 【I can’t answer questions involving the plot.】

Gu Liuguang hesitated, then messaged Xiao Yao to ask what kinds of photos she usually sent to “top contributors.” She planned to imitate one and group-send it to these three.