The Film Queen Is Cold and Ruthless, Only Sends Money - Chapter 30.1

[Why is your production team always on the path of comedy?!]

[Don’t ask me why I’m laughing just know I’m craving donkey meat pancakes, hahaha!!]

[Xue: Hungry, sleepy, exhausted but still didn’t get the money!]

Not only were the latecomers puzzled by the final amounts in the boxes, but even the guests themselves had to rewatch last night’s livestream multiple times to fully grasp the origins of each sum.

Lin Yan saw the footage of Su Xue’s group hiding items and remarked, “You guys are pretty clever, stuffing the envelopes with paper scraps.”

Jing Zhaozhao: “But in the end, it all ended up back in our own hands.”

For a moment, it was unclear whether this “cleverness” was a compliment or a sarcastic jab.

Su Yun watched the video clips, where every hour or so, a new group would tiptoe out to swap the contents of the boxes.

Too curious to hold back, she asked, “Did you really not sleep at all last night?”

Aside from her and Jiang Zhi, the dark circles under everyone else’s eyes were painfully obvious.

“Ye Ying and I took turns, we only slept for an hour or two,” Liu Yangran said, yawning mid-sentence.

Xu Zhi also pulled out their empty bottle of menthol oil: “We didn’t sleep at all after seeing the task. We used up all the menthol oil last night.”

Ye Ying sighed in admiration, “You guys are really ruthless with yourselves!”

Lin Yan: “Ruthless, sure, but the funds still ended up way less than the starting amount.”

As for Su Xue and Jing Zhaozhao, given how frantically they’d been running around last night, sleep was clearly out of the question they probably hadn’t even had enough time.

Mentioning this, the others couldn’t help but laugh.

The director replayed the footage of the two sneaking around in the dead of night to hide things and asked with a chuckle, “Why did you two add extra game mechanics for yourselves?”

[Su Xue: They took on one secret task, but we took on two, who won is obvious [proud.jpg]]

[Looks like the guests really enjoyed the last treasure hunt. Director, maybe it’s time for a sequel, hahaha!!]

[Just a few simple words, but they dealt Xuexue and Zhaozhao a critical hit. Classic director move!]

When the footage reached the part where Jiang Zhi pocketed the money, Su Xue couldn’t help but ask, “At that point, could you have taken all the money?”

After all, once the other three groups had emerged, no one would have thought to check the boxes again especially not expecting someone to exploit a loophole by stuffing the cash directly into their pocket.

Jiang Zhi glanced at her pocket and replied, “Probably not. It couldn’t have held that many bills.”

Su Xue: “That’s just shameless flexing.”

Still, they all had to be grateful that Jiang Zhi’s jacket pockets weren’t any bigger today!

[Other groups: No sleep, scheming all night, desperately trying to steal each other’s money.

Jiang Zhi’s group: Refreshed and energized, pockets just average-sized might not even fit all that cash.]

[When Jiang Zhi pulled the money out of her pocket, the other guests’ eyes nearly popped out!]

[But Jiang Zhi wasn’t wrong! If their group had taken the box with 45 yuan earlier, their total would’ve easily exceeded 90!]

Once the recap was over, the director gave them ample time to communicate.

Or, in other words, settle scores and air grievances.

Su Yun first expressed her gratitude to Liu Yangran’s team, “You’re the only good souls who returned the money to our box, truly a breath of fresh air!”

Liu Yangran smiled slightly, “At the time, we thought we’d taken Su Xue’s team’s thirty dollars and felt we had enough money already. It didn’t feel right to take yours.”

After all, they had just received help from Su Yun and Jiang Zhi.

But it was precisely because of their dramatic decision to return the money that they ended up securing decent funds for themselves in the end.

[Is this what they call good karma?! Liu Yangran’s team must be feeling so relieved right now!]
[A breath of fresh air, hahaha!! When the others were messing with Su Yun’s team’s box, I was so anxious I wanted to jump into the screen and shake them awake, screaming, “Stop sleeping already!”]
[Su Yun: I may have been asleep, but I had everyone else’s schemes all figured out!]

After thanking Liu Yangran’s team, Su Yun narrowed her eyes and turned to Lin Yan, the first one to tamper with their box. “Director Lin, didn’t you say yesterday how grateful you were that we lent you tools? That if we ever had any trouble today, we could come to you, and you’d definitely help?”

Who would’ve thought that less than a day after making such a grand promise before Su Yun and Jiang Zhi even encountered any trouble Lin Yan had already gone ahead and created trouble for them.

“…” Lin Yan, usually unflappable, now stumbled over her words under Su Yun’s questioning. “This is all a misunderstanding. Let me think of how to explain.”

Jiang Zhi stood nearby with her arms crossed, as if genuinely waiting for Lin Yan’s explanation.

[Su Yun: Let’s see what kind of excuse you can come up with!]
[Director Lin, just say: I only went out to check if the money was still in your box, and maybe admire the unusually large moon tonight. But then I tripped, bumped into the box, and the money just magically flipped into our box and Liu Yangran’s! So strange, I had no idea. I’ll have to be more careful walking in the future!]

Su Xue patted Lin Yan on the shoulder, unable to hold back her laughter. “Director Lin, just admit it openly.”

Lin Yan: “…”

–

After the production team of Dear Them uploaded the edited morning segment to Weibo, viewers who had just woken up gradually started watching the video.

As a result, the hashtag #Dear Them Officially Renamed Them Falling Apart# quickly climbed to the top of the trending list.

[I went to bed last night thinking I’d catch up on the livestream this morning, but the show just dropped the edited version so thoughtful!]
[Just finished watching every second was pure gold, hahaha!! I admit this hashtag is well-deserved, no exaggeration at all!]
[Am I the only naive one here? When they all agreed to sleep peacefully and not steal money, I actually thought they were being smart!]
[Yeah, you’re probably the only one, hahaha!! Their so-called agreements were never meant to be taken seriously!]
[They managed to make thirty dollars this entertaining, only you guys could pull this off!]
[Random passerby here this clip looks hilarious. Is the whole show like this, or just this part? If it is, I’m diving in headfirst!]
[As the unofficial ambassador for Dear Them, I say: Go watch it now! I’ve been following since the start, and this season’s cast is full of gems!]

【Wild Promoter +1! No flaws at all, just full of laughs, my perfect mealtime entertainment. I even want to rewatch it when the edited version comes out!】

After the mysterious night game’s edited version was posted on Weibo, it attracted a wave of casual viewers, boosting the popularity of Dear Them even further and solidifying its position as the top variety show of the season.

–

The cast, currently filming, didn’t have access to their phones and couldn’t see the trending topics, so they naturally had no idea about this.

Of course, even if they had known, the guests probably wouldn’t have cared.

Their focus right now was entirely on today’s mission.

During breakfast, Su Xue counted her money again. “Fourteen bills. Do we even need to do today’s mission? Feels like we’re doomed to lose!”

Fourteen bills didn’t sound too bad, but when they were all one-yuan notes, it just felt pitiful no matter how you looked at it.

“Buying something?” Liu Yangran guessed. “But who knows what they’ll make us buy?”

She thought back to the time the production team had them buy groceries and cook.

Even if the task was the same, the thought of cooking or haggling over prices made her feel like it was an impossible challenge.

While listening to them, Su Yun also remembered Jiang Zhi mentioning she wanted soy milk earlier and handed her a cup. “Here, your favorite.”

【So thoughtful! Su Yun actually remembered Jiang Yinghou’s earlier comment!】

【We get it, you two are close! But why are you feeding us dog food first thing in the morning?!】

【They’re so serious about breakfast, haha! Eating like they’re not worried about the upcoming mission at all!】

【Su Yun and Jiang Zhi are always like this, just get used to it! No matter what mission the production team throws at them, they’ll pull it off!】

【+1. The ones who should really be worried are the production team when they’re up against Su Yun, lol!】

After breakfast, the director announced today’s mission.

Director: “During your time in Herong County, you’ve tasted the local specialties, experienced the traditional culture, and felt the warmth and hospitality of the locals.

Beyond that, Herong County has even more to offer, waiting to be discovered.

However, due to our limited filming schedule, we can only showcase some of the most distinctive scenic or cultural landmarks.

So today, we’re heading to Ningshan in Herong County.”

【Herong County’s scenery is so beautiful! Already added it to my vacation travel list!】

【I’m more into the local food! And judging from the show, the locals are so friendly like that fish vendor Su Yun’s group met!】

【Ningshan? Is today’s mission climbing the mountain?】

【Local here! Ningshan is indeed one of our most famous landmarks. I was wondering why the crew hadn’t gone there yet turns out it’s today’s mission!】

Director: “Ningshan has stunning views. Your task today is to reach the summit and take a photo.

The funds you currently have will serve as your climbing budget.

This includes lunch, dinner, water for the hike, and any other expenses, all to be covered by your mission funds.”

【Su Xue’s group has 14 yuan, Lin Yan’s group has 15 yuan. Is the production team trying to send them into the wilderness as cavemen? Hahaha!】

【Their expressions are basically asking: Are you serious right now?!】

[I stepped back to check, and this really is a travel variety show! I thought I’d stumbled into some extreme challenge program!]

[Last night was all about wits and strategy, and today it’s a physical endurance test. The production team truly has no mercy!]

After hearing the task requirements, they froze for a few seconds before unanimously returning to their breakfast on the table.

Su Xue held a steamed bun in each hand and said, “If I eat more now, I can spend less on lunch.”

Though she had a feeling that fourteen yuan probably wouldn’t buy much of a lunch.

Su Yun looked at the breakfast spread. “If you can’t finish now, let’s each take a bag and pack some to go.”

No matter what, they had to take full advantage of the production team’s offerings!

The director hadn’t expected them to find such a loophole. He tried to have the staff clear the breakfast away, but before they could even reach the table, the guests had already swept everything clean.

Lin Yan waved two pieces of bread from her bag triumphantly at the director. “Don’t be so stingy, production team! Wasting food is a bad habit!”

“Yeah,” Ye Ying added, confirming that no food remained on the table before turning to the staff nearby. “No need to trouble yourselves, we’ll clean up.”

[Director: Miscalculated! This batch of guests is so hard to manage, how do they keep finding all these loopholes?!]

[You can tell they genuinely didn’t want to trouble the staff! The eight of them just circled the table, leaving no room for the crew to even get close, LOL!!]

[I can’t wait to see them climb the mountain!]

–

Due to last night’s mysterious mission, most of the guests had stayed up late.

To prevent any accidents during the hike, the show allotted them some rest time before heading to Ning Mountain.

Su Yun and Jiang Zhi had actually slept the night before, and with this extra break, any lingering drowsiness vanished.

When they stepped out of their rooms, the first thing they saw was Su Xue’s utterly bewildered expression.

Su Yun and Jiang Zhi walked over to her. “What’s wrong? Still upset about failing the mission?”

Surely last night’s failure couldn’t have hit her that hard!

But Su Xue wasn’t the type to be easily discouraged.

“No,” Su Xue shook her head, denying that reason. She flung herself at Su Yun in a dramatic hug. “I just took a short nap and realized, why is sleeping so blissful?! What was I even doing last night?!”

Her words drew laughter from everyone present, even causing the camera to shake slightly.

Though the others weren’t as exaggerated, they shared the same sentiment.

Sleep is wonderful. Never doing mysterious missions again!

As they chatted, they left the courtyard to buy supplies for the hike.

Items sold on mountains were usually several times more expensive than usual.

For example, a bottle of water that normally cost one yuan could easily be five or even ten times more expensive up the mountain.

Every penny they had now was precious, so they had to stock up at a convenience store before heading out.

Not far from their lodging was a small shop.

Once inside, their first priority was water, followed by energy-boosting snacks.

Liu Yangran’s team and Su Yun’s team had more money to spare, so they shopped without much hesitation.

After Su Yun felt she had grabbed enough items, she tallied up the total: “We still have three dollars left. How about grabbing this drink?”

Jiang Zhi looked at the drink in Su Yun’s hand nothing particularly stood out about its flavor or packaging. The only noteworthy detail was the text on it: “Open the cap for a chance to win another bottle!”

Jiang Zhi chuckled. “Do you think you’ll win?”

Su Yun had always believed in her luck. “Absolutely! We’ll open it once we’re up the mountain that way, we won’t have to carry it as far.”

While they were already indulging in the lottery of drink purchases, Su Xue and Lin Yan’s group were hunched over a calculator, racking their brains over how to spend their money most efficiently.

After Su Yun finished paying, the shopkeeper, seeing how much they had bought, kindly threw in a plastic bag.

Once she and Liu Yangran’s group had gathered their items, they found the other two groups still deep in calculations and indecision.

[Hahahahaha!!! Xuexue kept eyeing the chocolates on the shelf, but Chaochao kept stopping her!]

[Why are they even checking the convenience store discounts now?! Can you even get a discount on fourteen dollars?!]

[I don’t know if fourteen dollars can get a discount, but the shopkeeper might just kick them out of the store, hahaha!!]

Su Yun walked over and asked, “What kind of billion-dollar deal are you working on here?”

“Just a little less than 1.4 billion,” Su Xue replied, gritting her teeth as she finally spent every last cent.

As they left the store, Lin Yan suddenly said, “I actually wanted to just buy fifteen bottles of water at first.”

Liu Yangran was the first to voice her confusion. “We probably don’t need that much for hiking, right? Fifteen bottles might even be enough for all eight of us.”

“And it’d be a pain to carry up,” Jing Chaochao added.

Su Yun, however, immediately grasped her meaning. “Director Lin, were you planning to buy fifteen bottles, carry them up, and sell them for profit?”

If they priced them just slightly lower than others, they wouldn’t have trouble selling them. Then, they could use the profit to buy something else on the mountain.

Lin Yan snapped her fingers. “Exactly! But in the end, carrying fifteen bottles would’ve been too much. Xu Zhi and I would’ve collapsed before we even made it up.”

Hearing this, Su Xue immediately turned to Jing Chaochao. “Should we return the bread we bought and swap it for bottled water?”

Jing Chaochao: “Silly child.”

Don’t overestimate your physical limits.

[Speaking of which, I remember Xuexue and Chaochao once shared their hiking experience on Weibo. Apparently, Xuexue had to be dragged up for the second half! And now she’s bold enough to think about carrying over a dozen bottles of water?!]

[Hahahahaha!! Seems like Xuexue only heard the words ‘make money’!]

[Xuexue: Where’s the money? Count me in!]

–

After finishing their shopping, the production team drove them to Ning Mountain.

Lin Yan said in disbelief, “Sitting in this car feels surreal. Is this the first time the production team has let us ride in a vehicle?”

Liu Yangran gazed out the window at the passing scenery. “I think it really is. Last time, it was a tractor, and the time before that, they made us walk!”

“It’s way too normal,” Su Xue muttered suspiciously. “I’m starting to wonder if the production team has some hidden trick up their sleeves.”

[I didn’t even realize it until they mentioned it! This really is their first time riding in a car!]

[That sounds so rough! But why am I laughing so hard in front of my screen, hahaha!!]

[Let me add another one, the little electric scooter Su Yun and Jiang Zhi rode wasn’t bad either!]

[Look what the production team has reduced our guests to even getting into a car makes them fear falling into one of the show’s traps!]

[Honestly, when I first heard it was a travel variety show, I imagined scenes like this: guests leisurely riding to different places to enjoy the scenery. Never expected.]

[Never expected the production team to be so unconventional! And the guests turned it into a comedy show instead!]

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