After I Gave Up/Let Things Slide, I Became Famous Across The Entire Internet - Chapter 30.1

“Teacher Tang, this is what Miss told me to prepare for you. She said you would definitely encounter a lot of snakes, bugs, and rodents in the countryside. Taking this along will help a lot.”

“What?”

Zhang Zeyang sprayed the insect repellent on himself. Tang Shuxia quickly covered her nose, her delicate eyebrows almost knotting together. “Please thank her for her kindness on my behalf.”

Zhang Zeyang quietly took note: even insect repellent needs to be fragrant and have a pleasant smell.

The assistant was more grounded. “Sister Xia, if you’re afraid of the strong smell, you can just buy a bottle of unscented ‘Feimaotui’ brand insecticide. When you’re not in the room, close the door and spray it. A few hours later, when you’re done filming and go back to sleep, open the window to ventilate. Any smell will disappear. We all used that in school.”

Tang Shuxia was not at all worried about the poor living conditions. She had camped outdoors before, and the outdoors in this world was even safer than what they had known. So, after the plane took off, she couldn’t help but look out the window at the clouds, watching tirelessly until the plane landed.

This time, the three of them learned their lesson and made some degree of disguise before leaving the airport.

Zhang Zeyang knew the program crew staff were picking them up and quickly reminded, “Teacher Tang, this program is a live tracking format.” He preempted Tang Shuxia asking what live-tracking meant. “There will be staff carrying cameras following you. They will be with you all the time, except when you’re sleeping.”

Tang Shuxia understood. After lightly disguising her face, she left first, as she had last time. She found the program vehicle waiting for them, but just as she was about to get in, she was stopped. The staff member driving was smoking, and there was a cameraman beside him looking around, seemingly searching for something.

“Miss, did you get in the wrong car?”

“…”

Tang Shuxia paused in silence, pulled down her sunglasses, looked at them, and then began to remove her makeup right in front of the three of them.

The three people were dumbfounded and amused, especially the staff member. “Miss, you really made a mistake. This car is specifically for VIP guests.”

The cameraman couldn’t help but interject, “Are there still people who don’t recognize Teacher Zhai Xuefeng these days?”

Zhai Xuefeng was wearing a sun hat, a plain white shirt, and floral shorts that couldn’t be more ordinary, with a pair of flip-flops. He looked like he had come out of a remote mountain village to pick up goods. He scanned his attire. “Maybe the clothes I’m wearing today are not quite right.”

Zhang Zeyang and the assistant also split up, as the fans were too clever. The last time, all three of them trended on hot searches, and the airport pickup failed again. The fans had also learned. They knew they couldn’t just watch Tang Shuxia alone, so now even Zhang Zeyang and the assistant were being watched.

As soon as Zhang Zeyang got rid of the fans, he saw Tang Shuxia standing by the car. “Teacher Tang, quickly get in the car! If those fans find you here, we probably won’t be able to leave for a while.”

The assistant also rushed over. Being tall was an advantage; he ran very fast. “Sister Xia, hurry, hurry, get in the car! The fans are chasing us.”

Tang Shuxia took a moment to explain, “They didn’t believe I was Tang Shuxia herself.”

The others, “…”

The few people exchanged glances, seeing a look of awkwardness in each other’s eyes.

Seeing that the fans were already outside the airport gate looking around, Zhang Zeyang and the assistant quickly scurried into the car, busy explaining to the staff. The three staff members looked at each other, eyes wide, with a mixture of helplessness and amusement. If the staff member didn’t have to drive, he would have stopped to watch Tang Shuxia magically transform. No, magically transform into a beauty.

The cameraman found a spot and kept his lens fixed on her face.

The assistant hadn’t seen Tang Shuxia’s disguise last time. This time, sitting in the car, he watched dumbfounded as Tang Shuxia washed away layers of powder from her face, his eyes full of little stars of adoration. “Sister Xia, how did you do that? Your makeup skills are simply divine!”

He left the rest unsaid: if she ever stopped being an artist, she could be a beauty blogger. Her skill was better than many beauty gurus. But then he remembered Tang Shuxia had previously admitted her identity as the Tang family’s daughter at the airport, so that day would likely never come.

The people picking them up included the program staff and the veteran guest, Zhai Xuefeng, who had just stopped Tang Shuxia from getting into the car. He had a good temper, a mild personality, and was a veteran actor. He had been married for a long time with children. His wife was not in the industry, and his marriage was happy, with both a son and a daughter. His reputation in the industry had always been very good. He watched Tang Shuxia’s magical transformation, taking off her makeup in the car, and couldn’t help but clap and cheer. “Teacher Tang’s skill truly amazes me. I almost made a huge fool of myself just now. Teacher Tang, please don’t take it to heart.”

Tang Shuxia was completely unbothered. “I forgot to remove my makeup.”

Going straight into the car with that face, people would definitely say she was in the wrong car.

Zhai Xuefeng had been informed of the new partner’s information before picking them up. He was not unfamiliar with Tang Shuxia. It should be said that almost no one in the entertainment industry didn’t know Tang Shuxia. Her recent affairs were too sensational and dramatic. However, the beautiful woman with the cold aura in front of him seemed a little different from the person in the rumors he knew.

In the past, the industry’s description of Tang Shuxia was that the young woman was gentle, serious in her dealings with people, and an ambitious girl.

However, after Tang Shuxia got into the car, apart from a few words, she exuded a sense of laziness and indifference. That ‘do not approach’ aura was almost freezing him. He thought, “This girl looks very difficult to get along with.” If he hadn’t been desperately looking for conversation topics, he suspected she wouldn’t have spoken at all.

Zhai Xuefeng assumed she was tired from the flight, so he immediately asked the staff to play some relaxing music and started chatting with Zhang Zeyang. The location they were about to film was Zhao Village in C City, a very poor place where villagers relied entirely on self-sufficiency, growing fruit trees and the like to maintain their livelihood.

After he finished, he looked at everyone’s attire.

“With your current outfits, you’re going to suffer later.”

“Ah.”

Zhang Zeyang was still dressed in his past elite attire, the assistant was in sportswear, and Tang Shuxia, let alone her, always dressed as if she were attending a grand banquet when she went out. Her long skirt almost dragged on the ground, and her skyscraper heels looked exhausting, yet she enjoyed them.

Tang Shuxia was a little unsteady when she first wore high heels, but later she became completely accustomed to them.

Zhang Zeyang quickly understood the meaning of Zhai Xuefeng’s words. It seemed there had just been a heavy rain here. The car had to stop at the entrance of the village because the roads were extremely narrow. They had to walk to the filming location, which was situated behind the village. It was a large compound with a three story Western style house, the most luxurious residence in the entire village. The muddy path was covered in dirt and potholes filled with water after the rain. Tang Shuxia’s stilettos sank into the mud with every step, making it difficult to pull them out.

Looking ahead, Zhai Xuefeng, who was leading the way, was hopping along in his flip-flops. Even so, his heels were covered in mud. He turned back and saw that the three of them had indeed stopped. “Teacher Tang, it might be too hard for you to walk like this. Why don’t I go back and call someone to bring a tricycle to pick you up?”

Zhang Zeyang felt it would be too much trouble for others, and if this segment was broadcast, people might say Tang Shuxia was too pampered and acting like a diva for not being able to walk down a muddy road. “Teacher Tang, why don’t I carry you?”

He was ready to act as a transport, but Tang Shuxia directly refused. She first bent down to pick up her long skirt, which had become dirty from dragging in the mud. She squeezed it, and a little water dripped out. The next second, she tugged hard, and with a ‘rip’, the long dress instantly became a knee-length skirt.

Everyone: “!!!”

Zhai Xuefeng was quite surprised. If it were any other female guest, they would have already sweetly demanded a tricycle, complaining that the road was too difficult, asking why the car couldn’t drive in, and so on.

Zhai Xuefeng’s impression of Tang Shuxia instantly improved significantly.

Tang Shuxia thanked Zhai Xuefeng for his kindness, then used the torn fabric to collect some small stones. The cameraman following behind kept finding angles to film her as she threw the small pebbles one by one into the middle of the muddy path. She reminded Zhai Xuefeng, “Teacher Zhai, please continue to lead the way ahead. Thank you for your trouble.”

Zhai Xuefeng was actually curious why she was throwing so many stones, so he kept looking back.

Tang Shuxia tiptoed on the stones and quickly caught up with Zhai Xuefeng. Zhang Zeyang was relieved and tried to follow the stones Tang Shuxia had left. But squelch, his expensive leather shoes sank directly into the mud. The assistant, who was trying to imitate them, also stepped into the mud.

The cameraman didn’t forget to give a close-up shot of both their shoes.

By the time the group arrived at the only luxurious house in the village, they were all more or less a little disheveled. Zhai Xuefeng walked straight to a well and poured a scoop of water over his legs and shoes. He wriggled his feet, quickly washing away the splashed mud, and then poured another scoop.

Zhang Zeyang made a mental note that they might also need to prepare a pair of similar slippers.

Tang Shuxia also went over to wash her hands with the well water and even wiped the dirt from her high heels. Then she heard Zhai Xuefeng straighten up and shout towards the house, “I’ve brought Teacher Tang back! Everyone come out and welcome her.”

Zhang Zeyang, “…”

This was like the welcome a new member gets in a group chat. This Teacher Zhai was really down-to-earth.

With his shout, the guests put down what they were doing and rushed out of their rooms. Even the director and the production team came out to welcome her. Tang Shuxia was somewhat flattered, but she was still not used to this kind of enthusiasm. After responding a few times, she said she needed to settle her luggage first.

The conditions in the countryside were limited, and room allocation was a problem. She was the last to arrive; everyone else had already partnered up, so there was only one room left. She would have to share it with someone else.

“Xiao Tang, you’ll stay in the same room as Xuanxuan.”

“Okay.”

You Yixuan was reluctantly pushed out, looking displeased. When she saw Tang Shuxia, who had traveled all the way but whose clothes and shoes seemed completely unaffected, she felt envious. She felt like a sour lemon spirit inside. Unlike her, she had fallen and tumbled into the mud on the way because it was too slippery. She was truly unlucky. “Follow me.”

Tang Shuxia took the suitcase from her assistant’s hand and easily carried it as she followed You Yixuan.

The staff occupied all the rooms on the first floor. Zhang Zeyang and the assistant were also assigned a room, squeezing in with the other assistants. The second floor housed all the male guests, and the third floor, with three rooms, was the domain of the female guests. Tang Shuxia and You Yixuan’s room was the innermost one.

The room had two wooden plank beds. The staff had also thoughtfully provided two mosquito nets. The inner plank bed already had belongings on it. Tang Shuxia casually dropped her suitcase next to the other empty bed. You Yixuan stood by, watching her.

Tang Shuxia saw her standing stiffly in the corner like a wooden post. “Is something wrong?”

You Yixuan peered out, finding that the cameraman was diligently recording their shared room. What was there to record in this shabby place? She snapped, “Nothing.”

After saying that, she scurried downstairs.

After Tang Shuxia changed into a pair of slippers, she noticed a pile of burnt grass leaves in the corner. The grass leaves emitted a unique scent. She glanced at it and followed them downstairs. Several female guests were in the kitchen discussing tonight’s dinner. As soon as Tang Shuxia came down, one of the guests, Pang Tingrong, pulled her into the kitchen. All the guests were gathered in the kitchen, looking worried as they searched for something.

“It’s raining. Where are we supposed to find ingredients?”

“They didn’t even leave us any seasoning.”

“This time is even worse. They didn’t let us hide any money secretly. They even managed to take the money out of my socks. It’s twisted!”

Tang Shuxia was a fly in guest, and she quietly listened to their discussion. She quickly grasped the filming method of the show from their conversation. It turned out that the so called eating, drinking, and playing had to be based on self-sufficiency, especially the eating part. She could accept that.

Zhai Xuefeng clapped his hands. “Since everyone is here, let’s assign tasks. Who among you knows how to cook? Raise your hand.”

Considering Tang Shuxia was an inexperienced newcomer, Zhai Xuefeng assigned her task to the last meal the farewell dinner, giving her enough time to find the necessary ingredients. Her partner was naturally You Yixuan, her roommate, because You Yixuan had raised her hand.

You Yixuan pouted throughout, seemingly unhappy with the arrangement, and glared fiercely at Tang Shuxia.

The first day’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner tasks were assigned to: Group 1 (Zhai Xuefeng, Su Fan), Group 2 (Cheng Ziqiong, Ji Xingyu), and Group 3 (Luo Tong, Qin Lei). The second day’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner tasks were assigned to: Group 4 (Ye Kaicheng, Pang Tingrong), Group 5 (Jiang Yunyun, Yu Xuebo), and Group 6 (You Yixuan, Tang Shuxia).

For the other meals, such as tonight’s dinner, they could just quickly prepare something to fill their stomachs.

Fortunately, the program team was not so heartless as to leave them with absolutely nothing. Su Fan dug out an egg from the rice jar and was so happy he was jumping for joy, like a child tasting their first candy after never having had sweets before. Even Tang Shuxia was infected by the sunny boy’s emotions.