Going from "Fanservice" to Reality with My Goddess - Chapter 26

She had spoken those words in a moment of excitement, and reflecting on it now, Yu Nianzhi felt they were rather inappropriate.

Shen Yan, however, didn’t dwell on it. She simply smiled and said, “I’m fine. Let’s continue.”

Currently, Shen Yan appeared perfectly normal, making Yu Nianzhi wonder if her previous impression had been a mere hallucination. She continued to watch Shen Yan with a trace of unease, remaining momentarily motionless.

Seeing that Yu Nianzhi wasn’t moving, Shen Yan turned back and laughed. “What are you dazing off for? Hurry over.”

“Oh, oh, okay.”

This time, the two of them set the prices for all the goods first before resuming their business. From then on, progress was incredibly smooth. With Yu Nianzhi leading by example, Shen Yan quickly picked up the knack of it. The two displayed tacit coordination, and business flourished. They even managed to take turns resting on the small stool.

If this pair ever stops working in the entertainment industry, they could strike it rich by starting a street stall together.

At that moment, Tang Chu and Cheng Zinan happened to pass by. Cheng Zinan was still lugging a large bag of goods to sell; he froze instantly upon seeing the setup the two women had.

“You guys really know what you’re doing,” Cheng Zinan remarked.

Poor he and Tang Chu had been running all over the place carrying their goods, exhausted half to death. The worst part was that they hadn’t even earned much money. Cheng Zinan felt a pang of bitterness just thinking about it.

After leaving Shen Yan and Yu Nianzhi, Cheng Zinan immediately put his newly acquired experience into practice. He dragged Tang Chu to buy an identical little cart, letting his girlfriend rest to the side while he continued the struggle.

However, after only half an hour, the competition time was up. The bone-tired Cheng Zinan fell directly into a state of “self-isolation.”

Poor ‘Orange’ (Zinan). This story teaches us not to blindly imitate others.

Shen Yan and Yu Nianzhi had sold almost everything. Though they were exhausted, they felt a great sense of accomplishment. They pushed the small cart back to return it to the shop owner, but an accident occurred halfway there.

They were steadily pushing the cart back to the rental shop when a tricycle suddenly veered into the middle of the road. Pedestrians couldn’t dodge in time, and several people were struck, sustaining minor injuries. Yu Nianzhi and Shen Yan’s pushcart was not spared; it took a heavy impact, and one wheel snapped off completely.

Traffic police arrived quickly to handle the accident, stating it was caused by brake failure. Compared to the injured people, their cart was insignificant; the two could only continue on, pushing the mangled vehicle.

It was truly an undeserved misfortune. Since the cart was rented, they had to take a portion of their hard-earned money to compensate the shop owner.

When they returned to the meeting point, everyone else had already arrived. After the final tally, Chen Yanqing’s group narrowly defeated Shen Yan’s group for first place. Meanwhile, Cheng Zinan, who looked like a dried-up salted fish, surprisingly didn’t come in last—Gu Ming’s group took the bottom spot.

Cheng Zinan, who had already given up on life, instantly revived. He looked at Tang Chu with disbelief. “We got third? I didn’t expect that.”

Tang Chu smiled. “Look at you, all energetic now.”

Cheng Zinan then turned to Gu Ming and Xie You, asking with total sincerity, “I don’t mean anything by this, but I’m truly asking for advice: how did you two manage that?”

Gu Ming snorted, not bothering to pay him any mind. “None of your business.”

While the six people on site weren’t sure what had happened, the audience in front of their screens had witnessed the whole thing. The danmu was a sea of “hahahahas,” with people racing to post spoilers though the cast members couldn’t see them.

Actually, Shen Yan and Yu Nianzhi could have easily taken first place, but the sudden accident pushed them into second. Fortunately, their raw capability was high enough to keep them in second place despite the setback.

Xu Wenluo, being a married man, was quite adept at managing such tasks. Coupled with the silver-tongued Chen Yanqing’s help, it was only natural their group took first. As for Cheng Zinan and Tang Chu, while they were completely clueless, they luckily had Gu Ming and Xie You—who were even more clueless to take the fall for them, allowing them to snag third by a fluke.

As for the fourth-place finishers, Gu Ming and Xie You… their story was somewhat legendary.

Though Gu Ming was terribly embarrassed, she eventually shared their experience with everyone. They hadn’t rented a cart or a table like Shen Yan’s group; instead, they spread the cloth bags directly on the ground to save money. Then Gu Ming came up with a way to attract business: she would sing, and Xie You would dance.

Gu Ming had declared confidently, “Youyou, don’t worry! With our tacit coordination and brilliant performance, first place is a lock!”

Xie You was a bit shy, but being from a girl group, she felt the idea was sound and agreed. So, the two of them began their song-and-dance routine. Initially, it worked well, attracting a large crowd and selling quite a few items.

However, as more and more people gathered to watch the spectacle, they eventually attracted the urban management officers (Chengguan). The officers didn’t care which celebrities they were; they gave the two a thorough scolding for being noisy and obstructing traffic. Finally, they confiscated all their goods and the money they had earned.

Because they had spread their handicrafts directly on the ground, they didn’t even have time to run. In the end, the two finished with a dismal “goose egg” (zero) for their score.

The moral of the story: you can set up a stall, you can perform, and you can earn money but don’t be too flamboyant about it.

After the results were announced, everyone went to a local specialty restaurant for a delicious meal. Afterward, they had a midday nap; the afternoon was reserved for the relaxed travel segment. As a travel variety show, the production team was quite humane working in the morning and relaxing in the afternoon was a good balance.

Once everyone had rested and regained their energy, they were fully revived for the afternoon gathering. The production team hadn’t forgotten the “different treatment for different rankings.” The director led the eight of them to a line of vehicles, claiming these would be their modes of transport for the upcoming excursion.

“You can choose not to use these vehicles, but our destination, ‘Mingkai Garden,’ is over ten kilometers from here, so consider your options carefully.”

Each pair walked to their assigned vehicle. Cheng Zinan looked at the little electric moped parked by the road and was instantly dumbfounded. “Third place gets this?”

He looked at all four vehicles; theirs was by far the daintiest. Gu Ming pouted and said crossly, “You should be content. At least yours is electric; ours requires manual labor.”

Gu Ming hopped onto the driver’s seat of a tricycle and waved at Xie You. “Come on, Youyou, get in. I’m the one who dragged you down. Let me give you a ride. Let’s go!”

Xie You agreed obediently, sat behind Gu Ming, and held onto her waist. “Let’s take turns. I’ll switch with you when you’re tired.”

Compared to them, the first-place vehicle was perfectly normal a car from one of the show’s sponsors. Low-key and luxurious, it was the essential transport for traveling.

Seeing the car, Chen Yanqing made an incredibly punchable remark: “Sigh, are we really the only ones in first place who get to ride in a car? This doesn’t seem right.”

Gu Ming made a gesture as if to hit him. “If you don’t want to ride in it, we can swap.”

Cheng Zinan added sourly from the side, “You don’t understand. Electric mopeds are green, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly. Riding one lets you get close to nature and breathe the fresh air. You can’t experience that while trapped in a car.”

Chen Yanqing laughed loudly. “That’s fine. I prefer the feeling of sitting comfortably in a car, away from nature.”

Cheng Zinan: “…” The rest of the group: “…”

This guy is really asking for a beating.

Surely beating him up, seven-against-one, wouldn’t count as a rules violation? It’s just a quick thrashing.

Even Chen Yanqing’s teammate, Xu Wenluo, couldn’t take it anymore. Feeling quite the headache, he pulled his smug teammate away. “Little Chen, let’s be low-key. Get in the car.”

Chen Yanqing, oblivious, was dragged into the car.

Meanwhile, Shen Yan and Yu Nianzhi stood before their second-place transport, looking a bit stunned. Shen Yan looked at the small vehicle and asked, “How should we address this… car?”

Yu Nianzhi wasn’t entirely sure either. “An elderly mobility scooter?”

I recognize that car! My grandma has one. My grandpa drives her around in it every day. Production team, you’re something else. Jumping straight into ‘old couple’ mode. The husband (grandpa) taking the wife (grandma) out for a stroll.

Though they internally wanted to refuse, it was their only means of transport. If they didn’t drive it, they would have to walk. Nevertheless, Yu Nianzhi and Shen Yan stared at the little car in silence. Naturally, they both knew how to drive, but a car like this… they truly had no experience.

After a moment of silence, Yu Nianzhi spoke up. “Teacher Shen, I’ll drive you.”

Shen Yan blinked and smiled. “Sure.”

Yu Nianzhi took the driver’s seat, and Shen Yan sat in the back. Once they were settled, Yu Nianzhi first studied the structure of the vehicle. Although it was an elderly mobility scooter, the basic functions weren’t much different from a normal car. Yu Nianzhi quickly figured out the operation, and they prepared to set off.

Before leaving, Yu Nianzhi didn’t forget to remind Shen Yan: “Fasten your seatbelt.”

Shen Yan nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”

Yu Nianzhi stepped on the accelerator, and they were off. Gu Ming, seeing the other two teams leave, called out to Xie You: “Youyou, sit tight. We’re heading out too.” She pushed down on the pedals and surged forward.

Finally, only Cheng Zinan and Tang Chu were left. Though Cheng Zinan felt quite desolate inside, he could only accept his fate. “Let’s go, Tang-Tang. We’re the last ones.” The two sped off on their little moped.

All four groups departed for Mingkai Garden. Upon reaching the destination, the production team was generous for once, allocating different amounts of funds to each group based on their previous rankings for them to plan their own spending.

The remaining time was a leisurely tour. Outside the scenic area, there were many vendors selling goods, much like the street they had been on earlier, making it quite lively.

As Shen Yan and Yu Nianzhi passed by, they inadvertently saw an old man holding a straw pole selling candied haws (tanghulu). Shen Yan suddenly remembered their experience during filming and smiled at Yu Nianzhi. “Doesn’t this feel a bit like the Lantern Festival scene in Love Sickness?”

Yu Nianzhi also saw the old man selling candied haws and nodded with a smile. “It really does.”

Shen Yan laughed. “Do you want to eat candied haws this time too?”

Yu Nianzhi pulled Shen Yan toward the vendor. “Let’s go buy some. This time, one stick for each of us.”

Listen closely! This is an early spoiler for ‘Love Sickness.’ Say more, I’m listening! I’m not sure what they’re talking about, but it’s still so sweet.

Afterward, it was a routine of the group enjoying their time in Mingkai Garden and strolling leisurely. When the tour ended, the recording of the first episode of Let’s Travel Together was complete.