The 'Involution King' Second Female Lead Quits [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Who’s the Outsider?

◎Who’s the Outsider?◎

As expected, after checking in at the first tourist spot, Li Jianwei’s trio completely left Zhou Zhao’s quartet behind, not even leaving them a glimpse of their backs.

After realizing they couldn’t find them, Zhou Zhao tried to ask the production crew for a hint. However, the crew had been convinced by Shu Heng’s money and stuck to their principles, refusing to provide any information and telling them to complete the task independently.

This made Zhou Zhao quite frustrated and forced him to replan their route, leading to a series of setbacks afterward.

But that’s a story for another time. For the trio, they had only completed one-ninth of the task.

For the nine tourist spots, Li Jianwei’s plan was to visit four on the first day, three on the second, and two on the third. This “tight-first, loose-later” approach would leave them with plenty of time at the end to do whatever they wanted.

The prices in the scenic area were high; a simple bowl of vegetable noodles cost thirty to forty yuan. Therefore, the trio decided to have lunch and dinner at small restaurants outside the scenic area.

Unlike Zhou Zhao, who didn’t wear a hat or a mask, Li Jianwei and the others wore hats most of the time and masks in crowded public places.

Despite this, the highly famous Li Jianwei was still recognized by a sharp-eyed fan while taking a photo at the last tourist spot.

Li Jianwei immediately put a finger to her lips, signaling the fan not to make a sound.

After seeing the fan excitedly cover her mouth and nod, she gestured for her to follow her. Finally, in a relatively secluded corner, she took off her mask to sign and take a photo with the fan.

“Teacher Li, I’ve been your fan for six years! I really, really like you!” The fan was trying her best to hold back, but her repressed voice still sounded incredibly excited. “Teacher Li, I’ll continue to support you forever!”

“It’s my honor to have your love for a full six years. I’ll do my best not to let you down,” Li Jianwei said with a smile, taking a small wooden pendant out of her pocket and handing it over.

“I didn’t prepare any gifts for you. This is a little thing I got at the tourist spot. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all, I love it! Thank you, Teacher Li!” The fan took a deep breath, and when she took the small wooden token, she even felt like she could faint from happiness.

Falling for such an excellent, beautiful, approachable, gentle, and kind Li Jianwei was definitely the best decision she had ever made.

After watching the fan leave with a flushed face, Shu Heng, who was also a fan, couldn’t help but lean in and ask, “Teacher Li, did you give something to a fan?”

“A small pendant from the scenic area,” Li Jianwei said honestly, a smile on her face. “It’s a long-time fan who’s supported me for six years. I’m so lucky to have a fan like that.”

Shu Heng was both proud in her heart and a little jealous. She had liked Teacher Li since her sophomore year of college. Counting the time, she could also be a six-year fan. Why didn’t Teacher Li give me a gift?

“Teacher Li, I’m also your fan,” Shu Heng couldn’t hide things for long. She blurted it out in a moment. “I was a fan of you before I entered the industry. So, can I also get a small gift?”

“Oh?” Li Jianwei’s face showed a perfect amount of surprise. “How come you never told me before?”

“I thought Teacher Li could tell. I mentioned many times during lunch that I really liked your work,” Shu Heng’s tone sounded a little sour. “Did Teacher Li forget?”

“Of course, I remember, but I didn’t think of it in a fan way,” Li Jianwei smiled. “In that case, I’m also your fan, Teacher Shu Heng. After all, I’ve carefully studied all of your work.”

“Ahem, really? Then what do you think of my acting, Teacher Li?” Shu Heng suddenly became shy, her emotions changing extremely quickly.

Li Jianwei immediately gave a thumbs up. “It’s very natural acting. It often makes me forget that I’m studying it and instead get immersed in the character you’re playing, and my emotions are influenced by the character you’re playing on screen.”

Shu Heng’s lips couldn’t help but curl up. “You flatter me, Teacher Li. I’m still far from your level. I need to learn from you.”

Li Jianwei’s tone was serious. “You just lack a suitable opportunity. I think you’ll be on par with me very soon.”

Shu Heng couldn’t help but grin after hearing that. While saying humble words, she was humming a little tune in her heart. She was practically radiating happiness, completely forgetting that she hadn’t gotten the gift yet.

Jing Siwen, who couldn’t join the conversation because she wasn’t in the acting circle, followed silently behind the two. The look in her eyes became a little subtle when she saw them holding hands.

Something’s not right. Eight out of ten things are not right. Is Li Jianwei’s attitude toward Shu Heng a little too doting? This doesn’t match the information I heard before the shoot.

Isn’t Li Jianwei supposed to be an artist who looks easy to get along with but actually keeps a certain distance from everyone? How can she not seem like that at all when she’s with Shu Heng?

Or is this sense of distance different for different people? Shu Heng is her real friend, so they get along well. I’m just a surface-level friend, so she’s always so polite?

[Thinking… This conversation sounds like a commercial flattery session, but why does it feel so genuine when it’s Li Jianwei and Shu Heng?]

[Why does this feel so shippable? Did these two have any collaborations before?]

[From their previous conversation, we can tell that Li Jianwei and Shu Heng are friends in private, but this might be the only time they’ve been on screen together, right?]

[Wow, that’s even better for shipping. A super fresh and hot couple. You can tell it’s going to be a very healthy one! I’m shipping it first!]

[Hahaha, am I the only one who thinks Jing Siwen is an outsider? She can’t even get in on the commercial flattery.]

After checking in at all the tourist spots, it was almost nine o’clock in the evening.

It was hard to book a three-bed room in a hotel, and getting two standard rooms for three people seemed a little wasteful. So, after planning their route, Li Jianwei, who had more life experience, booked a conveniently located B&B in advance.

The B&B was a two-bedroom, one-living room, one-bathroom, and one-kitchen apartment in a residential community. The price was only thirty yuan more than a standard hotel room, and there was no limit on the number of people staying, making it very cost-effective.

The only drawback was that each room only had one bed, so two of them would have to squeeze onto one bed tonight.

“How about we give the smaller room to Teacher Jing, and Teacher Li and I will share the bigger bed?” Shu Heng proactively suggested.

“I have no problem with that,” Jing Siwen readily agreed, shifting her gaze to Li Jianwei. “Is that okay with you, Teacher Li? If you’re a light sleeper, I can also squeeze in with Teacher Shu Heng.”

Li Jianwei smiled. “No problem at all. I’m a good sleeper, so I won’t wake up in the middle of the night.”

“Okay, then it’s a done deal. We’ll get up early tomorrow, visit the fifth spot, and then take the high-speed rail to the next city,” Shu Heng immediately finalized the plan. “Let’s be careful with our time so we don’t miss the train.”

“Okay,” Li Jianwei and Jing Siwen both agreed, and the live stream was also turned off.

There would be no cameras on the guests when they were doing private activities. After both groups completed their check-in task, the day’s live stream would also end, leaving the unsatisfied fans wailing.

[Ahhh, today’s happiness is gone just like that! Why can’t they live stream at night! They can have a black screen but keep the audio!]

[I agree. I think they can cut to an outdoor scene, like filming the buildings outside. I can even use the live stream as white noise to help me sleep.]

[I’m not saying anymore. Go to sleep quickly. I think the girls’ group will definitely get up early. When they get up, I’ll get ready with them. It’ll be like traveling together!]

…

After taking a shower, Li Jianwei saw Shu Heng holding her phone and furiously tapping the screen, a slightly ferocious look on her face.

“What are you doing?” Li Jianwei asked with a hint of curiosity, her body still misty from the shower as she sat down next to Shu Heng.

“Nothing, just surfing the web and checking the netizens’ feedback from today,” Shu Heng subconsciously put away her phone, not letting her private account be exposed to the other person, and quickly changed the subject. “Teacher Li, are you done with your shower?”

Li Jianwei raised an eyebrow and held out her hand. “Obviously. I’ve already changed into my pajamas.”

Realizing she had asked a stupid question, Shu Heng hid her embarrassment with a smile. “Then let’s go to sleep. It’s already eleven. We have to get up early tomorrow.”

After saying that, Shu Heng quickly got up, lifted the blanket from the other side, and lay down on the bed. “Teacher Li, come on up. My alarm is set for 7:30 AM tomorrow.”

Li Jianwei suppressed her curiosity, lifted the blanket, and lay down on the bed. “Then I’ll turn off the light?”

“Mhm. Good night, Teacher Li,” Shu Heng pulled the blanket up to her chin and lay flat on the bed.

The disappearance of the light made the room fall into darkness, and their breathing became gradually more apparent.

After about twenty minutes, feeling that the person next to her was breathing steadily, Shu Heng quietly reached out and pulled out the phone she had hidden under the pillow.

She then slowly moved her body to face away from Li Jianwei, opened the page she had closed before, and continued to argue with netizens on her private account.

[Zhou Zhao was clearly the one who tried to steal the girls’ group’s hard work and then got lost because he was incompetent. How can you fans be so shameless and turn around and blame Teacher Li? Do you really think the world revolves around your “oppa?”]

[Nonsense. Teacher Li already debunked the rumors. She and Zhou Zhao just collaborated on something. They’re not that close in private. Don’t make up a couple!]

[What fake sisterhood? I think Teacher Li and Shu Heng have a genuinely good relationship. Why can’t female celebrities have real friendships? That’s just your prejudice! They’re real friends! For real!]

[Zhou Zhao is thirty-six, and Teacher Li is only twenty-six. Of course, Teacher Li is more outstanding! If the time in the industry means everything, why doesn’t Zhou Zhao give his roles to the seniors who need them?]

While Shu Heng was fighting on the internet, Li Jianwei, who had been pretending to sleep, couldn’t hold back anymore and slowly opened her eyes, observing the person lying next to her with her peripheral vision.

What could be so important that the rich young lady has to fight at night behind my back? And her movements seem to be getting bigger and bigger.

It looks like I’m still not important enough in the young lady’s heart, otherwise she wouldn’t need to hide from me.

The revolution has not yet succeeded, Comrade Li Jianwei. You still need to work hard to gain the young lady’s goodwill!

….

The next day, looking at the two people who were yawning frequently at the breakfast place, Jing Siwen, who was the only one who had gotten a full eight hours of sleep, couldn’t help but think.

Was 7:30 AM really too early to wake up? Maybe next time it can be changed to eight. Beauty sleep is very necessary for female artists.

After checking in at the last tourist spot in the city, the trio took the high-speed rail to the next city.

The camera was also switched to the quartet at this time. Zhou Zhao was currently leading his team in a brave climb up a mountain.

Theoretically, the foot of the mountain was also a tourist spot, but Zhou Zhao said that since they were already there, it would be a pity if they didn’t reach the summit to experience the feeling of being at the top and looking down at all the other mountains.

These words sounded very reasonable. If Zhou Zhao hadn’t run out of energy halfway through, slowing down the entire team’s progress, they might have been more convincing.

[It takes an hour and a half to climb up and at least forty minutes to come down. This is too time-consuming.]

[It’s not a real trip if you’re just checking in. Teacher Zhou Zhao just wants to share the scenery on the mountaintop with everyone, not just complete the task for the sake of it.]

[Who are you being passive-aggressive to? The promotional videos of the mountaintop scenery have been released so many times. It’s all through a camera anyway. If we really want to see it, can’t we just look up the promotional videos? Don’t use the audience as an excuse! Zhou Zhao just wants to show off and completely disregard the bigger picture.]

[The theme of “Poor Travels” is “special forces” traveling, okay? It’s all about efficiency. Half an hour is enough to take a photo to post on social media!]

[So, your travel is just for posting on social media? That’s too formal! The essence of travel is to enjoy the scenery along the way!]

[Please, checking in at nine spots in three days is the show’s rule. If you take out the time spent on the road and eating, you have to make sacrifices to complete the task. This time-consuming and energy-draining spot can be completely abandoned in favor of a more reasonable one!]

[Learn from the girls’ group. They already eliminated this kind of secluded and time-consuming spot. They’re going to places suitable for young people to take photos and experience the local culture. Half an hour is also enough to walk around inside, and they also stop to enjoy the scenery on the way to the spots.]

[I’m tired just from watching this. Director, hurry up and switch the camera back! I don’t want to watch the boys’ group climb a mountain. I want to see the beautiful faces of the girls on the high-speed rail! I’d even be happy just to watch them sleep!]

[I agree, switch the camera, switch the camera. I’m not interested in watching them climb a mountain while out of breath!]

Seeing the argument in the live chat getting more and more intense, the director had no choice but to switch the camera to the trio.

The trio was lucky. Because they had booked their tickets in advance, they were able to get three seats together. They only needed one camera to capture all three of them.

Li Jianwei was sitting by the window, Shu Heng was in the middle, and Jing Siwen was by the aisle.

However, both Li Jianwei and Shu Heng were catching up on sleep. The latter’s head was resting directly on the former’s shoulder. From the smile on her lips, you could tell that Shu Heng was not only asleep but also having a good dream.

Jing Siwen didn’t know the camera had been switched to her side at this moment. She was using her connections to find out information about Li Jianwei and Shu Heng. The speed at which her fingers were tapping the keyboard was comparable to Shu Heng’s late-night argument session from last night.

[As expected, appreciating beautiful things makes you feel happy and uplifted. The moment the camera switched to the girls, I felt like my whole being was elevated.]

[This is perfect to watch during a work break. After I turn on picture-in-picture mode and pin the live stream to the corner of my screen, I feel like I have more energy at work.]

[Isn’t today Saturday? Why are you working?]

[Okay, stop talking. I’m a little triggered. Am I the only one working today?]

[You’re not the only one. We have four days off a month, and we can’t rest on weekends. We’re exhausted.]

The live chat became harmonious. Even Zhou Zhao’s fans had to admit that watching beautiful people quietly sleep was better than watching a bunch of men climb a mountain all sweaty.

This had nothing to do with sexism. It was just a subconscious thought that the men would have a stinky, sweaty smell, while the girls would have a fresh and fragrant scent.

The director also seemed to have gotten the audience’s preference. He asked the cameraman to zoom in, indirectly magnifying Li Jianwei and Shu Heng’s sleeping faces as they leaned on each other.

The audience in the live stream was very happy about this. The newly joined shippers were grinning wildly. Even Zhou Zhao’s regular fans quieted down to enjoy this peaceful moment, because beautiful girls being close to each other was truly pleasing to the eye.

The only ones who were unhappy were Zhou Zhao’s manager and his brainwashed fans. What’s so interesting about sleeping in a high-speed rail seat?

Why aren’t they filming our “oppa?” Don’t they see how hard he’s climbing the mountain to show them the scenery? This is so unfair! This is targeted!

So, after a moment of peace, some glaring comments appeared in the live chat, immediately stirring up trouble.

[Is the show crew just trying to promote Shu Heng? Both a Best Actor and a Best Actress are in the same episode, and the camera is so biased toward her. Isn’t this too unfair to the other guests?]

[Shu Heng isn’t from a performing arts school. She entered the industry halfway through, and her debut was a female second lead. Think about it, really think about it!]

[Oh my God, this is obviously someone who brought their own money to the group. She must already have a “sugar daddy.” Isn’t this too unfair to the other hard-working guests?]

“Pay attention to the abnormal comments from the audience. Mute all the accounts that are slandering Shu Heng,” the director, who had a faint guess about Shu Heng’s background, immediately ordered.

This muting only made the fans who thought they had seen through the truth go crazy. They kept registering new accounts to viciously attack Shu Heng.

Zhou Zhao’s manager didn’t miss this opportunity. He contacted his top fans and also bought some online trolls to try and drag Li Jianwei down. At this point, the live chat was completely in a mess.

[I get it now. Li Jianwei has been trying to please Shu Heng this whole time. She probably knows that she has a powerful backer, so she’s desperately trying to cling to her.]

[Zhou Zhao is so pitiful. He was probably tricked into coming here to be a stepping stone for the two of them.]

[Nonsense. Li Jianwei already won the Best Actress award last year with her own strength. She has the status and the popularity. Who does she need to please?]

[Who knows? Maybe she’s interested in her “sugar daddy” and wants to offer herself to him.]

[Are you guys online trolls? You’re just repeating the same few sentences. Can you be a little more original? You’re just blindly slandering here?]

After realizing that manual muting was not enough, the director had no choice but to raise the live chat’s threshold to prevent arguments, for example, by requiring users to be at level five or have an account registered for more than seven days to comment.

The restriction had an immediate effect. The arguments and online trolls disappeared by a large margin, but this also affected the viewing experience for regular audience members to some extent.

Fortunately, the brainless fans and trolls immediately changed their battlefield to other places after they found out they couldn’t comment, and in no time, the topic was trending.

However, at this time, Li Jianwei’s and Shu Heng’s managers also reacted. After realizing that someone was trying to step on their artists to climb up, they also started to contact online trolls to turn the tide of public opinion.

Both Sister Qin and Sister Lu were experienced managers. When they saw the direction of public opinion, they knew it was Zhou Zhao’s team behind the scenes, trying to use this method to increase his exposure.

While the internet was in a mess, the trio had already smoothly gotten off the high-speed rail and were looking for a restaurant for lunch.

“We have one thousand three hundred yuan left in our travel funds. After we take out tonight’s accommodation and the non-negotiable ticket fees, we’ll have about five hundred yuan left. I think we can experience some local cuisine for lunch,” Jing Siwen, who was in charge of the finances, suggested.

“I agree. We’ll be taking public transportation for the rest of the trip, which won’t cost much,” Shu Heng quickly responded.

Li Jianwei naturally wouldn’t be a killjoy. “Okay, but where are we going to eat?”

Jing Siwen showed them the guide she had checked in advance. “I checked this while on the high-speed rail. We can walk for fifteen minutes to a newly opened shopping mall. The restaurants inside are having grand opening promotions, starting from 30% off!”

Li Jianwei and Shu Heng looked at each other and said in unison, “Then let’s go!”

Fifteen minutes later, led by Jing Siwen, the trio successfully arrived at the entrance of the mall.

Good news: The newly opened restaurants were indeed having promotions, with 30% and 50% off being very common.

Bad news: Because of the huge discount and the weekend, the restaurants were all full. If they didn’t have a reservation and chose to wait in line, they would have to wait for at least two hours.

Jing Siwen touched her nose guiltily. “Sorry, I didn’t consider this situation. If we wait in line, it might delay our next plans.”

“It’s okay. There are many other well-rated restaurants nearby. We can go for a walk on the streets outside,” Shu Heng comforted her.

After walking for only a few hundred meters, a restaurant with a banner that looked like it was doing good business made her stop.

“To celebrate the boss’s successful engagement, we’re holding a special gratitude event. Couples get 20% off, and if you bring a friend with you, the friend’s meal is free,” Shu Heng subconsciously read the rolling subtitles at the entrance of the restaurant.

“Oh, this buffet restaurant has been mentioned in many guides. The ingredients are good, and it only costs 99 yuan per person. It’s very cost-effective among similar restaurants,” Jing Siwen added from behind.

Shu Heng was a little tempted and showed a gentle and low-key smile. “Um, I have an idea. I wonder what you two teachers think.”

“Hmm?” Li Jianwei showed an appropriate look of confusion.

Jing Siwen, who already guessed but still had to play along, said, “Teacher Shu, just say what’s on your mind.”

“There are exactly three of us. If we’re a couple plus a friend, we can have a big meal for less than one hundred and sixty yuan,” Shu Heng whispered, looking like she was plotting something big. “What do you two teachers think? Isn’t it a great deal?”

Jing Siwen wasn’t surprised at all and strategically touched her chin. “I think it’s a good idea, but I don’t know if the restaurant accepts same-s3x couples.”

Li Jianwei also lowered her voice and asked, “So, who’s the couple and who’s the friend?”