After I Gave Up/Let Things Slide, I Became Famous Across The Entire Internet - Chapter 28

The show Tang Shuxia was participating in was called Those Years, Our Youth. The name was very artistic those who didn’t know might even mistake it for a movie. In reality, it was a lighthearted, prank and joke based program intended simply to entertain the audience.

There were originally seven regular guests, but one person left after the first episode, leaving four.

The production team extended offers to many preferred artists, but the overwhelming public criticism and low ratings after the first episode left such a poor impression that various entertainment companies, to protect their artists’ reputations, unanimously declined. In the end, only the CEO of Tang Shuxia’s company, with “visionary foresight,” forcefully inserted her, offering a “buy one, get two free” deal, instantly solving the program’s guest shortage.

The production team was so delighted they nearly split their sides laughing.

Especially when they saw the viral topic about Tang Shuxia being the Tang family’s eldest daughter during the show’s warm-up preparations, the director’s face blossomed with joy. He seemed to foresee a sharp rise in viewership for the second episode and a resounding defeat of competing variety shows launched concurrently.

Therefore, when Tang Shuxia arrived late after being delayed at the airport, both the production team and the guests greeted her with spring breeze like smiles, as enthusiastically as if welcoming a high level company executive.

“Hello, Sister Xia.”

“Teacher Tang, you must be tired from your journey.”

“It’s very hot. Come and have some iced watermelon.”

“We also have iced black tea and mung bean soup. Which one would Teacher Tang like to drink?”

Tang Shuxia’s arrival instantly drew away most of the attention. However, there was one exception among the guests: You Yixuan. She rounded her lovely, almond-shaped eyes in displeasure, unable to believe that her “mascot” treatment had been stolen just half an hour ago by the person in front of her. If it were anyone else, it might be fine, but it was Tang Shuxia! Vile, too vile!

Tang Shuxia politely declined their kindness and looked around, confirming that one or two people hadn’t arrived yet. “I don’t think I’m late.”

The staff laughed heartily, not daring to say anything. This was the Tang family’s eldest daughter; there was no such thing as being late for her. “Teacher Tang, you’re early. A few other guests are still on the way. You must be tired from your journey; you can rest a bit first, or” and get to know the other guests.

Their main activity was actually scheduled to start after nightfall, when the atmosphere would be better.

Others were about to seize an opportunity to chat with her. Though Tang Shuxia currently lacked significant works and her popularity wasn’t as stable as that of a traffic star, her constitution was practically a “hot search magnet.” She was on a small hot search every day, a major exclusive story every five days, frequently trending for days on end a physique many envied.

Before the staff could finish speaking, Tang Shuxia had already walked quickly to the deck chair under the parasol, laid down, skillfully pulled out her phone, and started scrolling through hot searches as comfortably as if she were on her own sofa.

Everyone else: “…”

Um, that’s the director’s chair.

The staff nearby pretended not to notice and continued with their respective tasks.

Zhang Zeyang ignored the astonished glances, retrieved a bag of tomato flavored chips and a bag of spicy strips from her luggage, handed them to Tang Shuxia, and thoughtfully tore open the packaging to make it easy for her to eat. Finally, he asked his assistant to fetch a few bottles of iced cola for Tang Shuxia to quench her thirst. Tang Shuxia had actually seen the hot search on the way, but now she was reading it more closely. The online “Sherlocks” had actually pieced together the entire truth through subtle details, even managing to unearth the company of Yu Huimei’s maternal younger brother, Yu Tianlei. This operation left her utterly astonished. “Amazing.”

It seemed she couldn’t underestimate this group of people in the future.

The real experts were among the common folk.

She had originally planned to deal with Yu Huimei if the show’s filming became too boring, but she never expected that netizens had already taken the initiative on her behalf, taking a monumental leap forward. Now, Yu Huimei had no chance of recovering.

She was happily scrolling through the news.

Ding, an incoming message interrupted her.

【XYJ: The weather in S City is hot. I asked Xiao Zhang to prepare sunscreen for you. Remember to pay attention to sun protection when you go out.】

Zhang Zeyang suddenly felt a gaze sweep towards him. He stepped forward. “Does Teacher Tang need anything?”

Tang Shuxia tilted her head back slightly, her sunglasses sliding down her nose, revealing those eyes that were adept at enchanting people. “Is your miss”

Zhang Zeyang: “…Hmm?”

Tang Shuxia narrowed her eyes. “Never mind. It’s nothing.”

【Tang: OK.】

Xu Yujing was holding a tablet in one hand and a phone in the other. The interface was still stuck on their dialogue box. After Tang Shuxia replied with one word, there was no follow-up. She waited patiently for a moment, then couldn’t resist clicking on Tang Shuxia’s profile picture. The picture was entirely black pitch black and without opening the large image, one couldn’t even make out the few scattered stars. The tablet was currently playing the footage of Tang Shuxia being surrounded by fans earlier. A netizen had posted that clip online. In the video, the person was rational and cold as she advised the excited young fans, “Don’t like me, it won’t work out.”

It was like the words of rejection spoken to a shy girl who handed her a love letter in a university.

She had listened to this line almost masochistically countless times.

Fortunately, these words weren’t the final judgment on her.

Just as the two were texting, the guests finally arrived. Xi Qingshu and Han Haohao, who had taken a nasty tumble, looked like beaten eggplants. They had run into each other at the airport and were both limping. Since they were from the same company, they shared a ride. However, as soon as they got out of the car, they immediately put on professional smiles and greeted the assembled guests, only looking at Tang Shuxia with eyes full of grievance.

Tang Shuxia, however, acted oblivious, curiously staring at the filming equipment pointed at them.

“Oh, isn’t this our sweet, sweet, sweetest Xiaoxuanxuan?”

“Who’s your Xiaoxuanxuan?”

The moment You Yixuan saw Xi Qingshu approach, she immediately moved away. This persistent pest was notoriously annoying, sticking her nose into everything. Once you were stuck to her, it felt like she’d peel off a layer of your skin. If she had known the production team had invited so many “monsters and demons,” she wouldn’t have come. To avoid Xi Qingshu, she retreated further and further, finding a corner as far away from her as possible, and accidentally bumped into someone. “I’m sorr..” The moment she saw Tang Shuxia’s face, so beautiful it was almost angelic, her apology instantly turned into disdain. “Why is it you?”

Tang Shuxia wasn’t for the first time sensing this doll-like girl’s hostility towards her. She stood on her toes to indicate, “You stepped on me.”

You Yixuan: “…………”

She silently shrank back, not wanting to engage.

I stepped on you already. If you have the guts, step on me back. Anyway, I am absolutely not going to apologize to Tang Shuxia.

When all the guests had arrived, filming officially began. The staff, seeing the mutually dismissive behavior between You Yixuan and Tang Shuxia, were incredibly excited. These two, publicly recognized as rivals, were already showing dissatisfaction with each other! Ahhh, they had their topic for the second episode!

【The castle you see before you is a magical castle. A beautiful princess lives inside, but because she was too beautiful, an envious and jealous old witch cast a spell on her, transforming her into an insignificant item within the castle. The King has invited many people to break the spell, but they have all failed. Therefore, he had no choice but to announce a message: whoever can rescue the princess will become the kingdom’s consort. All of you here are exorcists hired by the King with a heavy reward. Please find the correct item, break the spell, and save our princess. Exorcists, please also note: the old witch has learned the news and has planted a patrol in the castle. If you are caught by the patrol, you will also be turned into an item and remain in the castle forever.】

The staff handed each person a small exorcist badge and an earpiece.

Tang Shuxia was even forced to put on a black exorcist outfit, which had magic patterns on the back, and was assigned an extremely reluctant partner.

“I want to be in a group with Sister Xia.”

“Sister Xia, take me with you.”

The staff flatly rejected the unreasonable demands of Xi Qingshu and Han Haohao, and instead grouped the two of them together. The two were so angry they stomped their feet. Xi Qingshu stared at You Yixuan’s pouting face. “Look at her! She’s still unhappy. She’s so lucky.”

Han Haohao nodded seriously. “Exactly. She gets to be grouped with Sister Xia.”

When will I ever get to be in the same shot as Tang Shuxia?

Why is it so hard to manufacture a rumor?

There were a total of eight guests for the second episode, paired up into four groups. They had to find the clues set up by the production team in the shortest possible time, piece together the princess’s location or specific spot, and finally break the spell. Besides Tang Shuxia and You Yixuan’s group, and Xi Qingshu and Han Haohao’s group, the other two groups were the regular pairings from the previous episode, who had excellent chemistry and had already run off to wander the mansion.

Tang Shuxia also followed the crowd towards the mansion. The mansion was empty. Stepping on the floor even echoed with a tap-tap-tap sound, like someone was following behind. You Yixuan had been afraid of the dark and ghosts since she was a child. Hearing this sound made her shiver. She couldn’t help but look back. There was no one behind her. She could hear her own heartbeat, thump-thump, almost leaping out of her chest. She hurried over to Tang Shuxia. “Hey, I absolutely will not be in a group with you!” We’ll search for our own clues and not interfere with each other.

Tang Shuxia: “Suit yourself.”

You Yixuan: “…………”

What’s going on? I hadn’t finished talking yet!

You Yixuan felt like she was punching cotton powerless. She had originally wanted to snarkily mock Tang Shuxia’s black cloak, saying only an ugly person would make such a fuss, but when she inadvertently glanced at her reflection in a nearby window, she realized her own black cloak was incredibly ugly. It’s hideous! Has the production team given up on being human? How can they let us wear something this ugly for the show?

Last time, when she and Tang Shuxia wore similar dresses on a certain red carpet, as the saying goes, “it’s not scary to wear the same outfit, but it’s embarrassing who looks uglier.” Unfortunately, after that fashion clash, netizens mocked her, calling her short legged, round faced…

This time was even worse: wearing the same style of clothing again.

She could already foresee how netizens would mock her once the episode aired.

Ahhhhhhh, Tang Shuxia is poisonous! Nothing good ever happens when I run into her.

You Yixuan’s face was dark, yet the person ahead was walking quickly, seemingly unconcerned. With every swing, the hem of the large cloak drew a beautiful, swirling arc. Watching her, it actually looked a little bit… dashing.

Clap, clap, clap.

You Yixuan forcefully slapped her own face. “Idiot! That’s not dashing, that’s chuunibyou (eighth-grade syndrome).”

In the distance, the sneaking figures of Xi Qingshu and Han Haohao quietly followed behind them. Seeing the two go their separate ways, they immediately rubbed their hands together excitedly. “The two of them split up! Let’s go up and suggest we cooperate with Sister Shuxia. That way, when the show airs, we’ll definitely have endless topics.”

The two instantly agreed.

All of this was captured by the miniature cameras installed in the castle.

The production team watched from behind the scenes, utterly enthralled. Even before the main part started, everyone’s little schemes were already on display. They then shifted their attention to Tang Shuxia. When they first decided on their new guests, there had been some disagreement. Tang Shuxia had performed very ordinarily in a previous variety show, and Tang Shuxu was just a third rate, failed celebrity fueled purely by hype, with no works and no fan base.

Tang Shuxia was currently selecting her concubines.

She opened every room for a look. The castle’s decor was European, even the paintings on the stairwell walls were of Louis XVIII. Opening and closing doors, she had opened over a dozen rooms in a flash. Crucially, she would pause for a moment at the entrance of every door she opened.

Seeing her about to reach the room where the princess was hidden, the production team members’ hearts jumped. They were terrified she would accidentally stumble upon something. If a guest accidentally broke their setup just a few minutes into the filming, it would be too embarrassing for them.

Just as over a dozen people were intently watching the screen, Tang Shuxia’s figure suddenly vanished from the camera view.

They held their breath: one minute, two minutes, three minutes…

Everyone: “???”

“What’s going on? Where is Tang Shuxia?”

“Maybe she just entered a blind spot in the filming. Maybe she’ll pop out from somewhere in a moment.”

Everyone thought that sounded plausible. Miniature cameras were limited they couldn’t film every corner of the castle. So, they decisively went to check on the other guests. The two groups of regular guests were constantly generating laughs, seemingly aware of the production team’s typical style, and kept creating and finding talking points. They even put the props on themselves, dressing up like vampires, witches, and little pumpkin people from Halloween.

The sky unconsciously darkened. The castle used only small, faint lights. Under the dim glow, vast black shadows swayed. In the empty corridors, the sound of tap-tap-tap footsteps could be heard everywhere, an ethereal sound that seemed non-human. Perhaps the air conditioning was too strong. Xi Qingshu couldn’t help but shiver, her teeth chattering as she complained to the person beside her. “I told you to walk faster, but you didn’t believe me. Now look! Sister Shuxia has run off to who-knows-where again.”

Han Haohao: “I… I was careless.”

He knew Tang Shuxia walked very fast. Even wearing high heels, she moved quickly and urgently, but she had truly disappeared around one corner.

Xi Qingshu was about to say more when her peripheral vision suddenly caught a glimpse of a black shadow floating past. She grabbed Han Haohao’s arm. “There, there seems to be something over there.”

Han Haohao was being pinched painfully, but as a man, he was too embarrassed to shake her off. Gritting his teeth, he asked, “Where? I don’t see anything.”

The two slowly approached the thing, but before they could clearly see its true form, their shoulders were simultaneously tapped.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!”

Xi Qingshu and Han Haohao screamed in unison, closing their eyes and embracing each other.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s just us. Sorry, we didn’t mean to scare you two.”

It was Xi Caiwen and Jian Rufan, one of the fixed pairing groups. Jian Rufan had always acted like the “big brother.” He used to be a stunt double, so he had many injuries, some visible and some hidden by clothes. The largest scar on his face was near his eye, running diagonally just one centimeter from piercing his eyeball. He looked fierce but was actually very easygoing.

Xi Caiwen was an eighteen-year-old girl, still a student, with a refined face and great variety show appeal, and had accumulated a fan base.

Xi Qingshu and Han Haohao each opened one eye. Seeing it was the regular guests, they immediately let go of each other, so embarrassed they wanted to find a hole to crawl into. Xi Qingshu chuckled awkwardly. “Haha, it’s just you. I thought”

Xi Caiwen: “Thought what? Thought we were the patrol?”

Xi Qingshu nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, yes.”

Xi Caiwen was there to gather intelligence. After all, two heads are better than one. “Right, why are there only two of you?”

Han Haohao, however, pricked up his ears. Tap-tap-tap, the sound of orderly footsteps came from the stairwell. “Shh, listen.”

The four people held their breath and listened. Crap, it was the patrol! They immediately scattered like frightened birds, running for their lives.

The entire castle seemed to have come alive in an instant. Tang Shuxia lay down for a while, her ears filled with various screams. Xi Qingshu’s scream was the most recognizable, the most frequent, and eventually wavered into a screech. She turned over, pulled out her phone, and took a picture of the scene outside the window.

【Tang: For your viewing pleasure, [Image.jpg]】

【XYJ: The moonlight is beautiful. Is your filming over?】