After Transmigrating into a Cannon Fodder Submissive, I Became Popular by Foraging on the Beach - Chapter 16

Gao Peng hadn’t slept well all night and woke up with dark circles under his eyes.

His agent came in: “Hurry up. We have to see the assistant director today.”

Gao Peng took a deep breath.

Right, securing the movie role was the most important thing right now.

He quickly tidied himself up and rushed to the dinner meeting with his agent.

“Assistant Director, it’s truly been a long time. Please accept this small token of my appreciation,” the agent said, beaming, as he handed over two bottles of Maotai liquor.

The assistant director, with a beer belly, accepted the liquor and grinned: “Why the formality? I’ve always admired Xiao Gao.”

He beckoned them over, casually putting his arm around Gao Peng’s shoulder: “Come sit here. Let’s have a good talk.”

Gao Peng spoke humbly: “It’s my honor to be appreciated by the director…”

While they were eating and not paying attention to online activity, someone claiming to be an insider on Weibo made a startling revelation.

“The biggest joke of the year: Gao Peng is a warm man [smile]

”

The video was sped up; the original footage was about half an hour long.

It was surveillance footage from the bonus filming set.

The agreed-upon filming time had arrived, and everyone except Gao Peng was present.

The other guests waited for him for half an hour. Finally, the director couldn’t stand it anymore and called him.

“Come or don’t come! Such a diva!” The director’s furious shout was clearly audible at the end of the video.

[Gao Peng acts like a diva on The Good Life, frequently taking leave, and doesn’t get along with other guests. Anyone who bothers to check will know.]

[What a “warm man,” making everyone wait for him.]

[Everyone, please be understanding. Brother Gao has been busy with a movie lately, so he doesn’t have much time. He did take leave, after all.]

[Your idol is truly a great “warm man.” Did the character facade backfire?]

[If you don’t have time, don’t join the variety show! You want to have your cake and eat it too! Don’t you have basic professional ethics?]

[I finally understand. Gao Peng looks down on variety shows but still uses them to make money.]

[Speechless. Can Gao Peng just withdraw? Who cares about him anyway?]

#GaoPengGetOutOfTheGoodLife

The topic instantly rushed up the hot search. Gao Peng’s blindly loyal fans were still trying to defend him.

[Can you stop defending him? Gao Peng constantly badmouths others and buys water army. Proof below.]

[Image] [Image]

Another major blogger posted several photos, all records of Gao Peng insulting other celebrities and hiring a water army to defame people.

The online sentiment became even more one-sided.

Fans of various celebrities, seeing their idols being used for slander, couldn’t sit still.

[He insulted my goddess too? She’s a three-time Best Actress winner! Who the hell do you think you are, Gao Peng? You ****]

[I’m literally disgusted. Ask for proof and you get it.]

[This is already moral corruption. Can he please get out of the entertainment industry?]

[Sigh, speaking of which, I suddenly remember Experience Life. Gao Peng also withdrew midway from that show.]

[Exactly. It’s a good thing Shen Qiu replaced him later. Shen Qiu is a treasure boy.]

[Shen Qiu was also targeted. It was probably Gao Peng being jealous. Unbelievable.]

[Shen Qiu is quite unlucky.]

The people who had intentionally or unintentionally participated in questioning Shen Qiu now felt even more ashamed and quickly deleted their previous comments.

More passersby focused their attention on Shen Qiu, and their bodies were very honest as they started watching the clam digging videos.

The netizens who had been misled by Gao Peng were now even more enraged after realizing the truth.

Everyone acted like Sherlock Holmes, digging up dirt on Gao Peng.

[I really don’t know what abilities Gao Peng has to get so many resources.]

[What’s so strange about that? It’s the casting couch.]

[Someone took photos of Gao Peng going to a hotel before, but they were suppressed.]

[Upstairs, don’t spread rumors! Brother Gao wouldn’t do such a thing!]

The blindly loyal fans were still desperately fighting back.

Just when the online storm was at its fiercest, the police delivered a fatal blow to Gao Peng.

[!!! Go look at the police Weibo next door!]

[TLDR: An assistant director was arrested for group lewdness! Gao Peng was also there.]

[Isn’t that the movie Gao Peng was auditioning for?]

[LOL, thanks to Gao Peng’s fans for the reverse jinx.]

“Shen Qiu, did you see it! This is so satisfying!” Wang Xiaobai enthusiastically followed the gossip during a break in filming.

Shen Qiu rubbed his eyes, letting out a sleepy yawn.

Lu Yidong had rushed to catch a flight in the morning, and Shen Qiu had gotten up to send him off, so he hadn’t had enough sleep.

“Let me see, already?” Shen Qiu murmured, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curling up.

“What’s ‘already’?”

“Ah, nothing. Gao Peng brought this upon himself,” Shen Qiu frowned in disgust, looking at the police announcement. “What will happen to him now?”

“They’re cracking down hard now. He’ll definitely be blacklisted,” Wang Xiaobai shrugged and opened the hot search. “‘Gao Peng Get Out of the Entertainment Industry’ has already climbed into the top three.”

“Why talk about him? Shen Qiu, take me clam digging again today, okay?”

Riding on the popularity, clam digging had now become a must-have segment every day, often paired with food.

It had completely turned Experience Life into a food show.

With Lu Yidong coming to visit the set, the director felt even more strongly about the good relationship between the two and didn’t dare to restrict Shen Qiu in the slightest.

Shen Qiu was in his element.

He played games, dug for clams, and cooked every day, and his fan count kept soaring.

He was incredibly happy.

When the five days of filming were over, Shen Qiu felt a little sad to leave.

After all, once everyone got busy, they didn’t know when they would get together again.

The director was also reluctant to see him go.

How much popularity had Shen Qiu brought?

It was imaginable that the three episodes he was in would have harmonious guest interactions, satisfied viewers, and good ratings.

Furthermore, Shen Qiu’s cooking was simply divine.

The show’s boxed meals had become tiresome.

In the beginning, they were too embarrassed and declined Shen Qiu’s invitations, swallowing their saliva.

After they got familiar, they were practically trying to snatch the food out of his hands.

Everyone had mixed feelings, but the filming ended as scheduled.

Jiang Wei and Wang Xiaobai left first. Shen Qiu was still waiting for his ride at the guesthouse entrance.

The director hesitated for a long time before asking: “Shen Qiu, do you have any plans for later?”

“Not really. I don’t plan to enter the entertainment industry. I can’t sing, dance, or act, anyway.”

“Our show will have another episode later, inviting all the temporary guests back for a grand reunion,” the director asked. “Are you interested in coming back?”

Shen Qiu’s eyes lit up: “I can do that…”

He suddenly had second thoughts: “But I have to ask first. Let’s talk about it later.”

The director was satisfied with that promise and nodded in a feigned understanding way: “So devoted, huh? You definitely need to ask.”

Shen Qiu smiled without answering, looking somewhat shy.

The director sighed to himself.

He never expected Boss Lu to have this side, to be so reluctant to be apart from his partner.

No wonder he came to visit the set for just five short days.

After the filming was over, Shen Qiu flew back.

The plane landed, and Shen Qiu turned on his phone to message Lu Yidong to let him know he was safe.

[I’m back in the capital city, everything went smoothly.]

Unexpectedly, Lu Yidong replied instantly:

[That’s good. Remember to use the VIP channel when you come out.]

Shen Qiu was puzzled and asked his assistant: “Xiao Zhang, where is the VIP channel?”

“Brother Shen, walk this way. There aren’t many people in VIP. There’s news online that filming is over, and there might be paparazzi. Don’t get stuck at the airport.”

Shen Qiu nodded.

He walked out of the airport and saw a familiar car parked outside.

Shen Qiu looked closely at the license plate and then took out his phone: […Did you ask the driver to come?]

The car window in front rolled down, revealing Lu Yidong’s face: “I wasn’t busy, so I came to pick you up on the way.”

Shen Qiu paused slightly, then immediately broke into a big smile and quickly got into the car: “Oh, that’s too kind of you!”

“You don’t need to say that between us,” Lu Yidong frowned.

Shen Qiu glanced at Xiao Zhang and nodded, thinking he understood.

Assistant Xiao Zhang was confused.

The airport didn’t seem very close to Boss Lu’s company…

He looked up and met Lu Yidong’s gaze. Lu Yidong was looking at him expressionlessly.

Xiao Zhang instantly became more reserved.

“…Aiya, Brother Shen, I have something to do. You two go ahead.”

He realized he was being clueless.

Shen Qiu poked his head out: “Is it far? Do you need a ride?”

Xiao Zhang frantically shook his head: “No, no, it’s nearby.”

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the two of them were newlyweds.

He shouldn’t interrupt.

Shen Qiu smacked his lips, still puzzled.

“Did you have fun?” Lu Yidong rolled up the window, blocking Shen Qiu’s view.

“Yes, I did!” Shen Qiu’s eyes were sparkling. “Oh, by the way, the show invited me back later. Can I go?”

Lu Yidong looked at his expectant eyes and pondered for a moment.

Only when Shen Qiu started to get anxious did he smile: “You can go if you want to.”

Shen Qiu realized Lu Yidong was doing it on purpose and let out a soft “Hmph.”

Lu Yidong chuckled softly.

They drove back home.

Shen Qiu got out of the car and opened the trunk, struggling slightly to move his suitcase.

“Let me do it,” Lu Yidong consciously took over. “It’s so heavy. What did you bring?”

Shen Qiu giggled, pinching a tiny bit of air between his fingers: “I bought just a little something.”

Lu Yidong helped him put it away and then returned to his study first.

Shen Qiu slammed his suitcase open. Souvenirs and local specialties, which nearly burst the case open, spilled out.

Shen Qiu squatted on the floor, humming and wiggling as he sorted the gifts for different people.

He picked up some dried fish and small ornaments and knocked on Lu Yidong’s door.

Shen Qiu blinked: “I bought these for you. This dried fish is really quite tasty.”

Lu Yidong accepted them, thanking him in a low voice.

Shen Qiu returned the same words to him: “You don’t need to say that between us.”

He was smug, as if he had won a round.

Lu Yidong’s expression softened.

Shen Qiu looked at his computer: “Are you still busy? Then I won’t bother you.”

He glanced at the drift bottle on the desk and asked casually: “Did you open it?”

Lu Yidong followed his gaze: “Not yet. Why?”

“Hehe, nothing,” Shen Qiu blinked and quickly slipped out.

Lu Yidong put away the gifts Shen Qiu brought, hesitated, and then picked up the drift bottle.

He uncorked the bottle and easily took out the rolled-up letter.

In the show, Shen Qiu had lowered his eyes and carefully written the letter; when showing it off, his tone was proud and delighted.

Lu Yidong’s eyes shifted.

He slowly unfolded the letter:

To my dearest husband:

The small fishing village was fun, and there were many delicious things to eat.

I’m sharing some with you too ^-^

The look in Lu Yidong’s eyes softened.

He opened the dried fish and tasted one.

It really was quite tasty.

It felt as though he was sharing in Shen Qiu’s happiness.

Shen Qiu was always like this.

Remembering to buy gifts, even thinking of him while on the show.

…It seemed that Shen Qiu really cared about him.

Lu Yidong recalled the content of the bullet comments, the fans celebrating their pairing.

His gaze unconsciously lingered on the letter, his expression unreadable.