The Film Queen Is Cold and Ruthless, Only Sends Money - Chapter 40.4

On their way back, they dropped off the heavy wool coats they’d bought earlier. By the time they returned to the designated spot and met up with the production team, one group had already arrived before them.

What first caught Lin Yan and Xu Zhi’s attention wasn’t Su Yun and Jiang Zhi, it was the Grandma accompanying them and the items in her hands.

Their group had spent most of their time after buying what they liked searching for a fashion designer, and even then, it had taken tremendous effort.

Even when encountering people speaking in dialect, Lin Yan insisted on trying to communicate in her own way, attempting to get them to recite the show’s slogan.

After nearly questioning every passerby, they finally gave up and found a spot to rest, asking a Grandma sitting nearby, who happened to be embroidering, if she knew any particularly skilled clothing designers.

Grandma: “…”

She’d never seen kids this clueless before!

She sat there, watching the two bustle around in front of her, even deliberately starting to embroider as a hint.

When they finally approached, she thought they were going to exchange the show’s slogan, but instead, Lin Yan asked that question.

Seeing how hopeless they were, Grandma could only cough and show them her half-finished embroidery.

Lin Yan naturally praised it, but it was Xu Zhi who caught on to Grandma’s hint and recited the show’s slogan. Only then did they manage to bring their fashion designer back.

Since the other two groups of guests hadn’t returned yet, the production team first took the grandmothers aside to rest, leaving the remaining guests waiting where they were.

Lin Yan curiously asked Su Yun, who had walked up to them, “What were the items in your group’s grandmother’s hands?”

She remembered when she had seen them earlier, there seemed to be only a piece of fabric being embroidered.

“Probably a fan, water bottle, sun hat, and flowers?” Su Yun had chosen items that were easy to carry and not too heavy. “We bought them for Grandma on our way back.”

Lin Yan had only asked out of curiosity, never expecting these things were actually bought by Su Yun and Jiang Zhi for Grandma!

Two big words immediately flashed through her mind: “Bribery!”

This was absolutely blatant bribery! They even bought gifts for the other party!

And compared to their own group’s awkwardness in front of Grandma, she suddenly felt the upcoming scoring was in serious danger!

Lin Yan asked the director, “Can we go back and buy something now?”

After returning, they were supposed to hand over the remaining funds to the production team. By asking this, Lin Yan was trying to get their funds back from the director.

Otherwise, even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t be able to buy anything for their own group’s grandma.

Hearing this, Su Yun raised an eyebrow slightly was she trying to copy them?

Director: “No, once the funds are returned, they can’t be used again.”

Su Yun nodded with a smile. This was the director she knew!

After the director answered Lin Yan’s question, Su Yun promptly handed her own funds back to the director.

Lin Yan, witnessing this firsthand: “…”

Out of sight, out of mind. Lin Yan pretended she didn’t know about Su Yun’s group currying favor with the judges and tried hard to change the subject.

Just then, her attention landed on their two bulky packages. “What did you guys buy? The packages are so big!”

“Of course, we bought them specially for Xuexue and Zhaozhao,” Su Xue replied, also curious about what Lin Yan’s group had prepared for Liu Yangran’s team. “What did you guys get?”

Lin Yan had mostly picked specialty bracelets and hand chains, fully showcasing her love for such items, while Xu Zhi had bought some scarves and the like things unique to Jinguang and unavailable elsewhere.

“But our outfit for the other group is a secret,” Lin Yan said, pointing to the opaque paper bag in her hand. “It’ll definitely make Yangran and Ye Ying outshine everyone.”

Su Yun: “…”

“Outshine everyone” in this task, that didn’t sound like a good thing at all!

The other two groups also returned just before the task deadline. The director then had them exchange the outfits they’d prepared for each other, go to the dressing rooms to change, and wait for the judges’ scores.

“It’s so heavy, what’s inside?” Su Xue and Zhaozhao struggled a bit to lift the packages. By the time they finished moving the clothes, the other guests had already disappeared.

Su Yun was holding the outfit prepared for them by the other group. At first glance, it could be summed up in one phrase: gaudy and garish.

The outfit was a simple top and pants, but the fabric was entirely green, covered with bright red, yellow, and other high-saturation floral patterns, exuding a rustic countryside vibe.

It would be perfect for sitting on a dirt kang, holding a handful of sunflower seeds, and listening to village gossip.

It didn’t look like typical Jinguang fashion. Su Yun thought to herself that Su Xue and Jing Zhaozhao must have searched hard on the fourth floor, known for local specialties, to put together this rural-style outfit for her and Jiang Zhi.

But, Su Yun’s confidence in the upcoming scoring grew even stronger!

She felt their group might not just pass, they could aim higher. Good or even excellent scores were within reach!

Contrary to her mood, Su Xue and Jing Chaochao began to regret their decision as soon as they found the so-called fashion designer judge.

They had initially assumed that a fashion designer, in the conventional sense, would naturally prefer stylish and elegant outfits.

So, when shopping for clothes, Su Xue and Jing Chaochao deliberately went for the exact opposite of “stylish and elegant.” Those two red-and-green outfits were the result of painstakingly combing through countless stores, their carefully curated masterpieces!

But after exchanging their secret code with the judge, they looked at the clothes in their hands and suddenly felt like their entire afternoon’s effort had been nothing but gifting points to Su Yun’s team!

Surely, an elderly person wouldn’t be able to resist this red-and-green aesthetic, right?

Even though they had realized their mistake and wanted to pick new outfits, time was already running out. They had no choice but to return with these disastrous choices in tow!

When the guests emerged from the dressing rooms, the production crew burst into laughter at the sight of their outfits.

They were professionals, they usually never broke character.

Unless they couldn’t help it.

But the live-stream audience had no reason to hold back. The moment the guests stepped out, the barrage of comments exploded with endless strings of “HAHAHAHAHA.”

[This is the most creative the guests have ever been! Who knew all your creativity would be poured into this segment? I never imagined clothes could be styled like this!]

[Camera crew, don’t hold back just laugh! HAHAHA! The shot’s shaking from how hard you’re trying not to!]

[Standing together, they look like four mismatched layers. Did any of you hold back when putting these outfits together?!]

Su Yun, stepping out of the dressing room, first noticed Jiang Zhi, who was wearing an outfit identical to hers.

The gaudy, rustic countryside style transformed Jiang Zhi into a completely different person. Su Yun felt that if she had any sunflower seeds on hand, she’d definitely share some with her.

Jiang Zhi, unburdened by any idol image, grinned and asked Su Yun, “It’s… not too bad, right?”

She still remembered how Su Yun had showered her with compliments earlier when she tried on the dress. This outfit, at least, made her feel much more at ease.

But the next second, Su Yun replied, “This one looks great too! It gives you a kind of… high-end vibe!”

She wasn’t lying. After the initial amusement, there was something about the way Jiang Zhi wore the outfit that carried a unique charm.

Jiang Zhi: “…”

She was starting to suspect Su Yun had some sort of special filter just for her.

“Ladies, save the lovey-dovey talk for later,” Jing Chaochao muttered in despair as she trudged out in her oversized wool coat. The heavy fabric, paired with the rain boots, made even a few steps feel like a sweat-inducing workout.

Right now, all she wanted to ask was, “What kind of styling theme is this?!”

She was pretty sure she and Su Xue would collapse from heatstroke before the scores were even announced!

Su Xue nodded beside her, leaning on the prop scepter they’d been given. “This coat is way too big! And what’s with the rain boots?!”

Su Yun proudly explained her design philosophy: “Don’t you think you two look like the Shepherd Kings?”

Jing Chaochao and Su Xue: “…”

They had no idea what a “Shepherd King” was.

But judging by their outfits, they definitely looked more like helpless sheep!

Liu Yangran, standing nearby, couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Shepherd Kings, that’s a brilliant concept! I think it fits perfectly! And you even have royal scepters!”

Su Xue: “…That’s definitely mockery. No doubt about it.”

Jing Chaochao: “But what’s the style of your outfits?”

The clothes on Liu Yangran’s team were styled by Lin Yan and the others, which was also the secret they had wanted to keep earlier.

They were dressed in frog mascot suits, each holding water guns and small frog toys, with colorful hats on their heads.

Su Yun hesitated before summarizing: “A return to childhood style?”

“That’s exactly it!” Lin Yan snapped her fingers and began describing the styling concept she and Xu Zhi had come up with. “Don’t they look a few years younger in these, full of youthful energy!”

“It is quite youthful,” Ye Ying accepted their team’s goodwill but then pointed to the grandmothers resting nearby and asked, “But will the judges understand your concept?”

Lin Yan hesitated before explaining, “…Maybe they’ll feel a grandmotherly affection for you, like looking at their own granddaughters!”

Liu Yangran: “…Maybe.”

She had already given up hope!

Su Xue, wearing a wool coat, watched the scene with amusement: “But Yangran, your two groups are really sabotaging each other. I think the judges might have an even harder time understanding Director Lin’s team.”

Lin Yan and Xu Zhi were dressed in outfits covered in leopard and tiger prints, and Liu Yangran’s team had even specially prepared tiger masks for them.

Jing Chaochao: “King of the Beasts?”

“Right. We even thought about finding matching hats or wigs for each other,” Liu Yangran said with a hint of regret. “But due to time constraints, we couldn’t find them. Otherwise, it would’ve been the perfect King of the Beasts look.”

Lin Yan: “…!”

She was now very grateful for the show’s time limit.

Su Yun watched their various costumes with a smile, feeling that her own red-and-green vest looked much more appealing in comparison. “It feels like your Shepherd King and King of the Beasts should have a showdown. How can there be two kings in one show?”

“No need for a showdown. We can’t compare to them,” the King of Beasts conceded defeat. But Lin Yan, looking at the outfits on Su Yun and Jiang Zhi, asked Su Xue, “Did you guys go easy on them? Why are their clothes so… normal?”

Perfectly aligned with the judges’ tastes!

“We’re innocent!” Su Xue had no way to explain her grievances and could only reveal their original plan. “We found out about the judges last and didn’t have time to change anything!”

“But we still have to thank Xuexue and Chaochao,” Su Yun chimed in with a smile, twisting the knife. “We really like these outfits.”

The director: “Now that everyone has changed into their respective outfits, we’ll invite the four judges to score them. Whether you can take your purchases home will soon be decided!”

[The scoring round is finally here! The way the director said it even made me nervous for the guests!]

[With these outfits, I’m so curious how many points they’ll get, hahaha! If I were a judge, I’d give them not just zero points but negative points, compensation for my eyes!]

[The most likely outcome is everyone staying here to work! The show could just rename itself The Survival Diary of a Working Life!]

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