I Swear I Don’t Want to Be Everyone’s Favorite - Chapter 41

Almost the moment Jiang Luoyue extended the invitation, question mark-filled bullet comments flooded the livestream. After three seasons, everyone seemed to have grown accustomed to Ning Fuguang keeping her distance, never expecting Jiang Luoyue to take the initiative and invite her.

Not only the live audience, but even the on-site guests froze for a few seconds. Fu Yunqing was the first to speak up: “What did you drug her with?”

“Just my charismatic personality,” Ning Fuguang replied with a light smile. After being invited, she seemed to regain her earlier composure, responding naturally while glancing at Jiang Luoyue. “Speaking of which, I just realized that goose has pretty good manners.”

Jiang Luoyue: “Huh, Huh?”

Why was Ning Fuguang looking at her? Why drag her into the conversation?

She had a hunch there was a trap, but she still responded. Watching Jiang Luoyue’s flustered expression, Ning Fuguang said with a straight face, “At least it knows how to respect the disabled.”

[LMAO, Fu Yunqing was just mocking Ning Fuguang for getting bullied by a goose, and Ning Fuguang claps back: It didn’t bully you because it’s merciful.]

[Can’t even roast her this is the fastest comeback livestream ever. No one here takes an L.]

Fu Yunqing immediately took it personally, speechless with frustration: “Are you insane?!”

“Jiang Luoyue, look!”

Jiang Luoyue struggled to hold back a laugh and glanced at Fu Yunqing’s leg. “I’m looking.”

“I told you to look at her, not at me!” Fu Yunqing fumed, pointing at Ning Fuguang from her electric wheelchair. “Just you wait.”

“Anytime,” Ning Fuguang raised an eyebrow. “But anger hurts the body. You should really calm down.”

After all, stuck in a wheelchair, no matter how mad she got, Fu Yunqing couldn’t exactly jump up and fight.

Fu Yunqing: “…”

She was so pissed!

[How is Fu Yunqing still so low attack, low defense after half a month?]

[You thought Ning Fuguang was slacking? Nah, she was just conserving energy.]

Fu Yunqing was seething with anger but didn’t dwell on the outcome. For one, it was Jiang Luoyue’s own choice, and she respected that. Secondly. so what if Jiang Luoyue picked Ning Fuguang as a teammate? It wasn’t like she hadn’t been Jiang Luoyue’s partner before.

Jiang Luoyue only chose Ning Fuguang out of pity it wasn’t the same as with her at all.

She needed to be the bigger person to leave a good impression on Jiang Luoyue and the audience.

Thinking this, the self-important Fu Yunqing crossed her arms and scoffed lightly, putting on an air of indifference.

The director had just relaxed when he remembered there were two others who could stir up trouble just like Fu Yunqing. Nervously looking up, he noticed Xiang Fan appeared calm. Yu Jingtang seemed a bit disappointed but quickly composed herself without a word.

“What are you looking at?” Xiang Fan said nonchalantly. “She didn’t pick me, so now I’m supposed to comfort her?”

Her tone was aloof, but combined with her earlier invitation to Jiang Luoyue, some immediately detected a hint of sourness.

[Xiang Fan: I won’t comfort you unless you comfort me first.]

But Jiang Luoyue clearly didn’t pick up on that and apologized, “Maybe next time.”

“No ‘next time,’” Xiang Fan rejected the vague promise and got straight to specifics. “After this season wraps up. I have a project to discuss with you.”

Jiang Luoyue was confused: “Huh? Okay.”

Xiang Fan’s project, a new film? Could that kind of collaboration be discussed so openly? Was she already confirmed for it?

The question flashed through Jiang Luoyue’s mind, but she quickly regained her composure. Rather than dwelling on uncertainties, she preferred to focus on the task at hand.

However, the barrage of online comments was far from as calm as Jiang Luoyue. Social media platforms instantly exploded with countless topics related to Xiang Fan and Jiang Luoyue.

As early as the first episode, Xiang Fan had subtly hinted at her new film. Her participation in Hate Me was not only to vent her frustrations but also to promote her latest work.

This was no secret many had noticed, but no one expected Xiang Fan to publicly invite Jiang Luoyue to join her new project.

After all, Xiang Fan was notoriously selective about actors, and very few earned her direct approval. Jiang Luoyue had only participated in a few episodes of the variety show with her, what qualifications did she have? Connections?

Public opinion instantly erupted. Some mocked Jiang Luoyue as a “nepotism hire” and harshly criticized Xiang Fan’s works. Yet, even more people flooded into the Hate Me live stream, eager for more explosive revelations.

Unaware of the online frenzy, the cast only learned that the hashtag #XiangFanInvitesJiangLuoyueToCollaborate had topped the trending charts just as they embarked on their mission.

Jiang Luoyue flipped the card in her hand, her steps steady as a gentle breeze brushed against her face. She sighed softly.

“Hmm?” Ning Fuguang glanced over. “Is it difficult?”

Jiang Luoyue replied, “Not exactly difficult.”

It was hellish difficulty.

Among the five tasks, the simplest, in Jiang Luoyue’s view, was selling feed to her fans, while the hardest was getting Fu Yunqing’s fans to acknowledge the “LuoYun YueQing” pairing.

As luck would have it, Jiang Luoyue had drawn the latter. When she revealed the task, the room fell silent, even Fu Yunqing was momentarily speechless.

As her teammate, Ning Fuguang had drawn the task of getting Xiang Fan’s fans to buy her album. With these two tasks combined, “hellish difficulty” seemed like an understatement.

Ning Fuguang smiled gently. “No need to rush. Let’s start with the photo task first.”

“You’re anxious because you’re part of the CP. If it were someone else’s CP, would you still feel this way?”

Ning Fuguang casually mentioned a “crack ship” pairing among the guests. Jiang Luoyue, who had heard of it, blinked in surprise. “Ah.”

Not only was she not nervous, but she was even excited, eager to confront the fans head-on.

“So, there’s no need to worry,” Ning Fuguang said with a smile. “Besides, it’s just a regular task. It’s fine if we don’t complete it.”

Before fully embracing the idea of slacking off, Jiang Luoyue tentatively asked, “Don’t you want to win?”

Influenced by Fu Yunqing, she had unknowingly adopted the mindset of striving for first place in everything. When she realized this, Jiang Luoyue wasn’t sure if it was good or bad she just found it somewhat amusing.

“Winning is important,” Ning Fuguang said, “but there are many things more important than winning.”

This aligned perfectly with Jiang Luoyue’s own thoughts. Convinced, she smiled warmly. “President Ning, you’re a great teammate.”

Then, realizing the ambiguity in her words, she added, “The others are great too.”

“But the best teammate is the one you’re with right now, right?” Ning Fuguang asked with a laugh.

Jiang Luoyue nodded. Ning Fuguang’s smile widened. As they walked along the cobblestone path of the small town, they soon encountered their first fan of the day. Upon seeing Jiang Luoyue, the fan’s face lit up with surprise and delight. But the moment they noticed Ning Fuguang, their expression tightened, and they took several steps back.

If she hadn’t forgotten her alcohol spray, Jiang Luoyue would have suspected she might sanitize the spot right then and there.

Being able to express her likes and dislikes so blatantly made the woman’s identity quite clear.

A fan of Yu Jingtang, and a dedicated anti-fan of Ning Fuguang.

In the task, the guests needed to sell a signed photo of Ning Fuguang to her for 1,000 yuan and make her praise Ning Fuguang for ten seconds.

Unfortunately, the two of them hadn’t drawn this particular task. When Jiang Luoyue took a photo with her, they stood extremely close, and the woman even proactively made a heart gesture with her hands. But when Ning Fuguang wanted to take a photo with her, the woman wore a guarded expression, keeping a distance of five meters from Ning Fuguang, as if afraid of touching her.

As for Ning Fuguang, she also looked speechless. Anyone would feel impatient after being so openly disliked.

As the atmosphere grew heavy, Jiang Luoyue remarked, “President Ning, you seem to have an air of aloofness about you.”

Ning Fuguang: “…”

Ning Fuguang was left speechless, her cold demeanor instantly fading, replaced by a helpless smile.

[Physical aloofness, huh?]

[Ning Fuguang is rendered speechless.]

[Are you sure that’s speechlessness and not an adoring smile? KSWL! I’ll count to three, and the comments better be flooded with “Luoyue Fuguang”!]

Before leaving, Yu Jingtang’s fan hesitantly approached to ask for an autograph. Jiang Luoyue happily agreed, but as she picked up the pen, she couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Why don’t you like her?”

Jiang Luoyue wasn’t sure about other anti-fans, but this girl had never shown any hostility and had a cute appearance. If it was just a matter of pure dislike for someone, Jiang Luoyue wouldn’t judge her for it.

The girl glanced at Ning Fuguang nervously and said, “Don’t you think she’s really fierce?”

Jiang Luoyue thought back. Ning Fuguang was indeed aloof, but “fierce” didn’t seem to fit.

The girl added, “You should be careful. She’s really good at acting. She doesn’t scold you now because she’s not familiar with you. Once she gets to know you, you’ll end up being mocked by her, just like Fu Yunqing.”

Jiang Luoyue: “…”

Jiang Luoyue recalled the previous season of Hate Me. Ning Fuguang was indeed a great actress, with a perfect persona and a gentle personality. In comparison, it made the others seem like uncivilized little monkeys who only knew how to argue.

But in this season, because she was caught scolding someone in the first episode, Ning Fuguang could no longer maintain her persona and remained distant from everyone.

Thinking about it carefully, among the five of them, she had extremely poor relationships with three. The only one she could interact with was Jiang Luoyue, but due to coincidences, they hadn’t been paired together for three consecutive episodes.

At this thought, Jiang Luoyue suddenly felt a bit sorry for Ning Fuguang.

Yu Jingtang’s fan, who watched her expression soften gradually: “…”

Wasn’t she badmouthing Ning Fuguang? Why did Jiang Luoyue have that expression?

This fan was a good start. After bidding her farewell, the two encountered several more fans.

Taking photos with thirty fans seemed like a daunting task, but the town was small, and since the fans had come specifically for the guests, they naturally made an effort to meet them halfway. Unfortunately, none of these people turned out to be the targets of their task.

To complete the task quickly, the two split up and gradually drifted apart. By the time Jiang Luoyue sat down on a bench, she realized she could no longer see Ning Fuguang anywhere.

She glanced at the cameras positioned around the street corners and asked uncertainly, “Have any of you seen President Ning?”

[Lost and Found: Jiang Luoyue has lost one Ning Fuguang. If found, please deliver the owner to my house ASAP.]

【You’re the only one eating and taking?】

【Ahhh Yu Jingtang ran into a Jiang Luoyue fan and they’re now passionately haggling!】

【Who’s haggling with whom?】

【Of course the fan is haggling with Yu Jingtang. Does Yu Jingtang look like someone who knows how to argue?】

【So brutal, must be a younger sister, right?】

Jiang Luoyue had just glanced at the bullet comments but hadn’t found any information about Ning Fuguang before being fed this piece of gossip. Extremely curious about Yu Jingtang’s sales scene, she temporarily set aside where Ning Fuguang had gone and clicked into the live stream.

The moment it opened, she was stunned for several seconds.

In the cool-toned restaurant decor, Yu Jingtang and the fan sat facing each other across the table. The atmosphere was serene, with both remaining silent. Dressed formally, they gave off a strong vibe of a business negotiation, quite impressive at first glance.

Until Yu Jingtang spoke: “This is the cost price. It can’t go any lower.”

Jiang Luoyue silently admired her composure.

The fan retorted: “How can twenty be the cost price? Eight yuan per bag, that’s my final offer!”

Jiang Luoyue: “…”

Since when do business elites negotiate over eight yuan?!

The atmosphere instantly shattered. Jiang Luoyue sighed with a laugh. Watching them haggle over every fifty cents, she even spotted cold sweat at Yu Jingtang’s temple when they finally settled on twelve yuan and fifty cents per bag.

Turning away, Yu Jingtang said to the camera: “So difficult.”

【Can’t mock this one she’s genuinely sweating bullets】

【My life has improved, I never thought I’d see Yu Jingtang being haggled down】

It was only then that Jiang Luoyue learned selling feed wasn’t just a baseless rumor. The invited fan owned a breeding farm, making the hundred-bag feed task perfectly targeted.

Hearing this, the girl laughed heartily: “Sorry, I’m just used to haggling with people.”

Yu Jingtang shook her head, not accepting the apology but instead saying: “Thank you.”

“Huh?” The fan looked puzzled, but just then, staff brought over the gagged goose. Staring at the flapping special gift, her face showed clear hesitation.

Before she could speak, Jiang Luoyue’s phone screen suddenly went black. Startled, she saw a pale hand being withdrawn.

Looking up, she recognized Ning Fuguang standing before her, just as something cold pressed against her cheek.

It was a green soda can.

Sunlight filtered through dense leaves onto her face. Jiang Luoyue belatedly leaned back, but the condensation had already dampened her hair in those few seconds. Squinting her brown eyes, she said somewhat irritably: “Ning Fuguang?”

Meeting her dazed stare, Ning Fuguang cheerfully placed the soda beside her leg.

Despite being the one who’d locked Jiang Luoyue’s phone, Ning Fuguang spoke as if it were natural: “I leave for a moment and you’re already watching someone else? Is she your teammate?”

To prevent Yu Jingtang from gaining attention, she didn’t even mention the name, avoiding any deeper impression.

“No.”

Only after noticing the drink did Jiang Luoyue realize she’d actually grown quite thirsty after walking all this time. Though not feeling guilty, she still explained: “I was just a bit concerned.”

“You’re such a good person, concerned about her. I know.” Ning Fuguang said.

Why did that sound so sarcastic.

Just as Jiang Luoyue felt somewhat helpless, Ning Fuguang added casually: “Instead of caring about her, why not care about your current teammate?”

Jiang Luoyue: “…” So this was the trap?

She laughed wryly: “How should I care?”

Ning Fuguang looked rosy-cheeked and perfectly healthy, seemingly capable of taking on ten versions of herself in a fight did she really need anyone’s concern?

Just as Jiang Luoyue found the thought somewhat amusing, Ning Fuguang stretched out her hand. Without needing any guidance, Jiang Luoyue had already spotted a clear cut on her index finger. The bleeding hadn’t fully stopped, and tiny droplets of blood were still seeping out, resembling delicate red threads winding around her finger.

Her sudden disappearance earlier might have been to buy medicine.

But if she had already bought it, why hadn’t she taken care of it right away? Besides, someone as fastidious as her, who would spend ages wiping her shoes after being pecked by a goose, how could she let her hand get stained with blood?

Countless thoughts raced through her mind, but Jiang Luoyue refrained from speaking abruptly.

Ning Fuguang pulled out a bandage and said lightly, “For example, my hand is injured, and I need someone to put this on for me.”

“Help me?” She tilted her head, mimicking the way others addressed Jiang Luoyue. “Luoyue cares so much about everyone surely you wouldn’t refuse to show concern for your one and only teammate, right?”