The Scummy Alpha Who Transmigrated Into a Book Was Tricked by the Actress Omega - Chapter 34

“Yeqing, when you’re at Sister Yan’s house, don’t speak out of turn. Don’t take things without permission, and listen to Aunt Li. Be good at school, understand?”

A childish voice responded earnestly from the other end of the phone, “I got it, sis. Be careful on your way.”

Du Zuilan sighed, still uneasy. “Also, about my relationship with Sister Yan. You should focus on your studies. Don’t be curious about these things, okay?”

She had lowered her voice, making her words unclear on the other end. Du Yeqing let out a puzzled “Hmm?” before asking seriously, word by word, “What relationship, sis?”

Feeling like she had shot herself in the foot, Du Zuilan couldn’t help but feel a rare twinge of helplessness. Glancing around, she decided not to elaborate further and simply bid her sister goodbye before hanging up.

Her fingers then hovered over WeChat, where the top contact was labeled “Y.”

She lingered on the screen, hesitating until the spare time she had allotted herself slipped away. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to make the call.

The next moment, a staff member wearing a baseball cap approached politely, asking if she needed help with her luggage.

Du Zuilan smiled warmly and thanked him.

The crew had already arranged everything meticulously for their group. Seated in the VIP lounge before boarding, the director cleared his throat and stood up to brief them.

Du Zuilan had ultimately decided to participate in this variety show. She wasn’t foolish or inflexible, if she couldn’t even afford food, she wouldn’t have the luxury to chase her dreams. Moreover, Yan Xunzhen had covered all the medical expenses for her sister and grandmother. Even if Yan Xunzhen insisted it wasn’t necessary, Du Zuilan couldn’t just ignore the debt.

The show’s format was akin to an adventure trip. Seven guests would pair up through a draw, leaving one inevitably solo, a gimmick the producers had planned. The pairs would then tackle survival challenges in foreign lands based on daily prompts.

Each day’s theme was chosen in the morning, touted as a completely unscripted show where the guests had to improvise.

Though Du Zuilan rarely participated in such programs, she knew scripts existed, it was just a matter of who got them. Sometimes, the absence of a script was the biggest script of all.

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted when the director suddenly called her name.

With a cheerful smile, the director announced, “Before we officially begin, let’s have everyone introduce themselves. This will also serve as material for our behind-the-scenes footage. Let’s start with Zuilan on the far east side!”

Swiftly masking her surprise with a polite smile, Du Zuilan stood and bowed slightly. “Hello everyone, I’m Du Zuilan, an actress. I’m honored to join this show with such esteemed seniors and look forward to your guidance.”

Applause followed.

She discreetly scanned the room, relieved by the warm reception before sitting back down. Yet as she did, she couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling of an intense gaze fixed upon her.

She didn’t dwell on the past but instead lowered her head slightly, diminishing her presence as she quietly waited for the others to introduce themselves.

Aside from Du Zuilan, there were six other guests: a seasoned variety show veteran who was practically a “celebrity talker,” a well-known beta couple from the entertainment industry, a strict and methodical veteran actor, an omega girl around Du Zuilan’s age and a mysterious woman who had been wearing sunglasses the entire time. It wasn’t until the director called her name that this “Annora” reluctantly took off her glasses.

Her lazy gaze lingered on Du Zuilan for a moment before finally withdrawing. She was indeed quite attractive, but what stood out more was her overwhelming aura.

She didn’t seem like an ordinary minor celebrity rather, she gave off the vibe of someone like Yan Xun Zhen, a CEO. But since Yan Xun Zhen was always gentle, especially toward Du Zuilan, Annora’s first impression left Du Zuilan with a strange, inexplicable feeling.

Annora didn’t introduce herself. Instead, she gestured toward the director with the arm of her sunglasses.

Surprisingly, the director understood immediately and took the initiative to introduce her to everyone: “This is Miss Annora. She recently returned from abroad and wants to develop her acting career here. She hopes to get along well with everyone.”

A scattered round of applause followed.

Du Zuilan remained silent, but the omega girl next to her, Yueyi, muttered under her breath, “What the hell kind of person is this?”

Noticing Du Zuilan beside her, Yueyi paused, then suddenly brightened up. She whispered excitedly, as if reuniting with family, “Sister Zuilan! I didn’t think you’d join a variety show like this. What a coincidence!”

Du Zuilan was momentarily taken aback but smiled politely, unable to recall who this person was.

The omega girl introduced herself, “Sister Zuilan, my real name is Gu Yueyi, Gu Yue Li’s younger sister!”

Now that she mentioned it, Du Zuilan vaguely remembered Gu Yue Li mentioning she had a sister in the entertainment industry. What a coincidence to run into her on this show.

Du Zuilan’s demeanor warmed slightly as she greeted her.

Gu Yueyi was practically a carbon copy of her sister blunt and hot-tempered. After grumbling a bit about Annora’s arrogant, disdainful attitude, she pulled Du Zuilan onto the plane, choosing a corner seat as far away from Annora as possible.

Their destination was quite far, and after roughly eight exhausting hours on the plane, the group finally disembarked.

Unexpectedly, the few hours of fitful sleep on the plane turned out to be their last rest it was already dawn. The production crew had them line up at the airport entrance, cameras rolling, capturing their disheveled, sleep-deprived appearances in all their raw glory.

Gu Yueyi, with her undone eyebrows, dramatically covered her face and wailed, “Director! Director! This is so unfair! My eyebrows aren’t even done yet, how can you start filming like this?!”

The director smiled and said, “Welcome everyone to the ‘Wild Life’ Rong Kingdom edition. Over the next week, you won’t receive any financial support from the production team. Everything here food, clothing, shelter, and transportation will depend entirely on your efforts to obtain them from the locals.”

“Today’s challenge is written on this card. Please pass it around.”

The weather in the Rong Kingdom was slightly colder than in Hualing. The celebrities who had come from Hualing were dressed lightly and couldn’t help shivering upon arrival.

Du Zuilan was doing alright; she was used to filming in erratic seasons and could endure it. Gu Yueyi, however, was trembling uncontrollably, exhaling warm breaths into her hands.

The quick-witted variety show veteran hurried forward to take the card from the director and gathered everyone to read it aloud: “Your luggage has been hidden by the production team. Today, the team that earns the most wealth in the capital of the Rong Kingdom will retrieve their luggage and receive accommodation provided by the show!”

The veteran exclaimed in mock outrage, “I knew you guys were up to no good! Where are those guys in caps? Give me back my luggage!”

The group burst into laughter.

Ai Nuor stood where she was, not joining in the banter. She adjusted her sunglasses again, though her gaze remained fixed on Du Zuilan.

The director cut in, “Alright, everyone, it’s time to draw lots now. Those who pick the same color will form a team, and whoever draws the black slip will be today’s lucky one.”

The air grew tense. When it was Gu Yueyi’s turn, she held her breath, silently praying to be paired with Du Zuilan.

Once everyone had drawn their slips, Gu Yueyi carefully flipped hers and Du Zuilan’s over and nearly jumped for joy. “We’re on the same team!!”

Du Zuilan didn’t mind either way, but not wanting to dampen Gu Yueyi’s excitement, she smiled and nodded.

The others weren’t as fortunate, the beta couple was split up, paired with the veteran and an experienced actor respectively.

As Du Zuilan had expected, Ai Nuor drew the black slip.

Off-camera, Du Zuilan’s smile faded. Though her lips still curved slightly, her eyes were filled with speculation and a hint of wariness.

Ai Nuor, this woman was definitely no pushover.

The production team paused to brief them:

The Rong Kingdom wasn’t large in area, but its economy was highly developed, with an intriguing architectural style, a blend of lavish, classic retro designs and modern skyscrapers. Red leaves fluttered down along the streets, and the morning dew left a faint mist on their clothes. The sunlight filtering through the rustling leaves gradually dispelled the chill.

They were standing in the heart of the Rong Kingdom’s economic center, the capital. Before them stood the most famous retro buildings, while behind them loomed the CBD district, along with a stretch of high-priced castle residences and scenic spots.

At the director’s signal, the teams set off. They had to return by 9 PM, and the amount of money they earned would determine the day’s winner.

Before they left, the director reiterated, “No restrictions, no phones, how much you earn depends entirely on your skills!”

“Let’s go.” The words hung in the air for a long moment before the pairs finally broke free from their awkward, frozen standoff.

Gu Yueyi, lost in melancholy thought, was the first to move. She pulled Du Zuilang to a stop at a roadside newsstand and pulled out a local map. “We’re here right now,” she said, pointing to a landmark on the map. “Look, this is the famous tourist spot, this is the ancient castle, and this is the CBD center.”

“Should we head to the tourist spot first? Busking? But I’m tone-deaf.” Gu Yueyi scratched her head in frustration. “If I’d known the show would be like this not even giving us phones, I would’ve prepared by stashing some money here beforehand.”

Du Zuilang, maintaining a calm demeanor, simply smiled. Both of them were minor celebrities with little fame, so there wasn’t much to lose face over in a foreign land. But Gu Yueyi seemed to have already dismissed the idea.

“Ah, forget it. What kind of work could we even do in the CBD?”

Gu Yueyi tapped her finger repeatedly on the map until suddenly, as if discovering a new world, she gasped in excitement. “Look, isn’t this Junyan’s logo?!”

“Junyan! Do you think President Yan might be there?”

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