The Scumbag A Really Doesn't Want to Become Famous [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 8
Given Jiang Musheng’s star power, the production team was thrilled when she agreed to participate in the variety show. However, they kept it under wraps from the public, only hinting that a mysterious guest would appear in this recording.
The flight from Songcheng to Beicheng took three hours, but the temperature would plummet to over ten degrees below zero. Although Yu Youqing had been to Beicheng before, she had never filmed outdoors in such freezing mountainous conditions, so she diligently prepared her belongings.
According to the insider information Tiantian had managed to obtain, the first day of recording would involve a segment where the guests’ luggage would be inspected, a golden opportunity to win over the audience. Thus, Yu Youqing was advised to prepare carefully.
The artist assigned by the company to collaborate with Yu Youqing was Yin Zi, a newly signed young woman. Her main task was to play along with Yu Youqing, acting as if she had fallen for her charm. Meanwhile, Yu Youqing was supposed to be a “central air conditioner” flirting with every guest possible.
This was all part of the company’s strategy: either rise through the hype or perish by it.
For easier communication, Yin Zi and Yu Youqing exchanged contact details. Right after greeting each other, the straightforward Yin Zi sent a message:
[Poison! Absolute poison! Sis, is the company trying to promote you or sabotage you???]
Yu Youqing replied: [The company is testing your acting skills. Do your best.]
After all, no one else knew that the script for the role alongside Jiang Musheng required someone who could flawlessly portray a scumbag Alpha. Given such an opportunity, anyone would go all out to cooperate.
Yin Zi: [So, are you ready? I just packed a military coat to keep warm, hehe.]
Yu Youqing stared at her empty suitcase, feeling troubled. In her past life, she had never gotten this opportunity, so she had no idea what to expect in the snowy mountains. But since they were heading to such a cold place, the activities would likely involve snow, perhaps skiing.
Equipment would probably be provided, so all she could think to bring were essentials like heating pads, self-heating hot pots, and instant noodles anything to combat the freezing temperatures.
After doing some research, Yu Youqing found that some past guests who performed poorly in challenges even struggled to get meals.
Unable to come up with anything else, she opened Touchbo to search for ideas, but the app first pushed her a Q&A invitation:
[What’s it like to live with a celebrity?]
[OP: I know I’m dreaming, but let’s all dream together, hahaha! Hasn’t anyone ever wondered what it would actually feel like to live with their idol? Maybe fate will smile upon me, and I’ll end up rooming with my favorite star~]
There weren’t many responses under the post, and as the OP said, the answers were clearly fantasies.
[Thanks for asking. Waking up every day on my idol’s 500-meter-wide bed feels amazing. Too busy to chat with you guys.]
[Hey, top commenter, it’s not even midnight yet why are you already dreaming?]
[Why am I always stuck in bed? Blame my superstar for being too Alpha. Currently typing this from bed. For the full story, check out xx website.]
Pfft.
As long as they weren’t her antis, netizens could be pretty funny.
Yet somehow, while reading these replies, Jiang Musheng’s name popped into Yu Youqing’s mind.
So this is what it’s like to live with a celebrity? And not just any celebrity, but an absolutely massive star. With nothing else to do, Yu Youqing wrote out a response, carefully reviewing it several times to ensure she hadn’t revealed any details about Jiang Musheng before posting.
[Anonymous User 009: Thanks for the invite. I never thought my dream would come true like this. I’m currently living in my idol’s home, a huge villa. She’s incredibly busy and only comes back occasionally, and when she does, we each stay on our own floors without disturbing each other. She’s even more beautiful in person than on screen, and much more down-to-earth than I imagined. Who knew even celebrities worry about houses feeling lifeless when left empty for too long, hence renting it out cheaply? (laughs)]
Since she was anonymous, she wasn’t worried about being recognized. She thought she’d just post and forget about it, but to her surprise, replies started pouring in.
[Your life is my dream.]
[This OP’s dream sounds the most realistic, I actually believe it and am already guessing which down-to-earth superstar this could be.]
[Fake, right? Which celebrity would let a regular person live in their home? And which regular person wouldn’t go crazy seeing their idol? I don’t buy it.]
[Idol dream fiction at its finest written so convincingly as if it were real.]
Yu Youqing found the comments amusing, most of which dismissed her story as pure fantasy. That suited her just fine, if anyone actually guessed who it was, Jiang Musheng’s team would probably hate her guts.
Since everyone assumed it was fake, some replies grew bolder, teasing: [If you’re gonna dream, why not go all out? Having your idol appear before you is like a deity descending to earth. Might as well pull the god down from their pedestal that’d be the most thrilling plot twist. Go for it, OP! Win your idol over!]
This particular reply made Yu Youqing pause.
Compared to her own career peaking early only to decline steadily, Jiang Musheng was her complete opposite. A trained actress, Jiang spent three years honing her craft in theater after graduation before steadily climbing from supporting roles to lead parts, earning the title “Teacher Jiang” through sheer acting prowess.
Even at the height of her fame, Yu Youqing was still called a “pretty face.” Meanwhile, Jiang Musheng, though not yet a lead actress at the time, was praised endlessly for her performances. Yu Youqing secretly watched every show Jiang appeared in, though she’d never admit how deeply impressed she was.
Later, when Jiang Musheng went abroad for two years to film arthouse movies coinciding with Yu Youqing’s own decline, she found herself inexplicably searching for news about Jiang.
Fans claimed Jiang Musheng was “the world’s best alpha”? She refused to believe anyone could be that flawless.
Yet her research revealed someone who lived for her craft, with no scandals to speak of. At public events, even when swarmed by fans, Jiang never lost her cool. She’d steady anyone who stumbled, gently reminding them to be careful.
True to her fans’ words, Jiang Musheng maintained mutual respect and distance, letting her work speak for itself.
[Dare to reply, OP?]
Yu Youqing’s thoughts were pulled back by this comment. Who said it had to be most thrilling to see the god in one’s heart fall from grace? Yu Youqing clicked on the comment and typed a reply.
[Anonymous User 009 replied: Why must the god fall? Isn’t it better to improve yourself and stand on equal ground with her?]
After replying, Yu Youqing didn’t look further until the evening when the show’s production team announced they would take the next episode’s guests to a snow mountain. The internet buzzed with discussions, with many comments offering advice to their favorite celebrities about what to bring. Yu Youqing had intended to copy some ideas, but a trending comment caught her attention.
[The production team really knows how to play up the mystery, never releasing the guest list in advance. Now they’re going to a snow mountain, won’t that test survival skills?]
[Anyone is fine, but please don’t invite Yu Youqing. She keeps popping up on my homepage because of that red carpet incident, it’s annoying. Enough with the hype!]
[Please, please announce if Jiang Musheng is going! She starred in a snow mountain rescue movie before, so these snow games would be child’s play for her. We’re going crazy without any new content of hers.]
[Oh damn, right! Could they really invite Teacher Jiang?]
[Don’t get your hopes up. Jiang rarely does variety shows, she’s on vacation now.]
Yu Youqing took this to heart. Jiang Musheng was known for her professionalism, thoroughly mastering any skills required for her films. She would surely know what to bring to a snow mountain. How could Yu Youqing pass up such a valuable resource without consulting her?
Flipping through her phone, Yu Youqing suddenly realized she didn’t have Jiang Musheng’s contact information.
At the time, she had thought it was fine to only have the property manager’s number, avoiding direct contact with the landlord. But now, living under the same roof, she realized the lack of contact details was inconvenient.
Yet, Jiang Musheng hadn’t mentioned exchanging numbers when she returned. Upon reflection, Yu Youqing understood big stars valued their privacy, and their co-living arrangement had to remain confidential.
Someone as reserved as Jiang Musheng probably wouldn’t appreciate being disturbed.
As Yu Youqing stared blankly at her suitcase, a sudden noise from upstairs startled her. She looked up to see Jiang Musheng descending the stairs in pajamas, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
??
Teacher Jiang? She’d been home all along?
Perhaps her shocked expression was too obvious, because Jiang Musheng’s drowsiness seemed to fade as her dark eyes fixed on Yu Youqing.
“Strange?”
“N-No.” Yu Youqing instinctively hid her phone behind her back. “I didn’t realize you were home, Teacher Jiang.”
“Mhm. Slept all day.” Jiang Musheng, seemingly oblivious to Yu Youqing’s awkwardness, walked over and glanced at the open suitcase. “Leaving?”
Yu Youqing hurriedly explained, “I have a variety show shoot tomorrow, we’re going to a snow mountain. I was actually hoping to ask you what I should pack?”
“Let me see what you’ve got so far.”
Jiang Musheng had intended to help Yu Youqing double-check her preparations, but when she saw the suitcase stuffed entirely with instant food, she was momentarily speechless.
“This is all you’re bringing?”
Yu Youqing asked cautiously, “Is there, a problem?”
“You won’t be able to keep any of these, the production crew will confiscate them right at the start.” Jiang Musheng pointed out the clear regulations in the program guidelines stating that food items would be taken during luggage inspection. “The most important things for the snow mountain are staying warm and avoiding frostbite during missions.”
Under Yu Youqing’s stunned gaze, Jiang Musheng went to the study and retrieved a tube of frostbite ointment from the first-aid kit.
“Take this. Apply it when your hands get cold—it prevents frostbite.” Her gaze lingered briefly on Yu Youqing’s hands.
Yu Youqing’s hands were beautiful pale, slender, with rounded fingertips like fine jade.
“I can’t possibly take yours. I’ll buy my own.” Yu Youqing waved her hands in refusal, even stepping back to emphasize her stance. “I’m already imposing enough by staying here with Teacher Jiang.”
The ointment remained in Jiang Musheng’s hand as she stood quietly, observing Yu Youqing. She noted that Yu Youqing’s acting skills still needed refinement despite the polite refusal, the underlying awkwardness was palpable.
Awkwardness? Why would Yu Youqing feel awkward around her? Jiang Musheng wondered.
Jiang Musheng didn’t leave, continuing to watch from the side. Yu Youqing felt like a misbehaving student under a teacher’s scrutiny and began removing the self-heating hot pots one by one.
Jiang Musheng: “Are you sure you don’t want it?”
Yu Youqing knew she meant the ointment. “Thank you, Teacher Jiang, but I really don’t need it.”
Jiang Musheng: “Do you know how frostbite feels?”
Yu Youqing: “Huh?”
“It hurts, it itches, and your hands swell up like little carrots. When they’re cold, it feels like they’re about to split open from the pain. When they’re warm, it’s both itchy and painful.”
Jiang Musheng’s description was so vivid that Yu Youqing could almost feel her hands turning into carrots.
“If you really don’t need.”
Slender fingers swiftly plucked the ointment from Jiang Musheng’s hand as Yu Youqing straightened up abruptly.
“Thank you, Teacher Jiang! You’re so kind, I’ll take it!” Yu Youqing was certain she had practically snatched it from Jiang Musheng’s grasp. Afraid Jiang Musheng might change her mind, she immediately tucked it into her suitcase like a treasure.
Jiang Musheng said, “It works very well.”
“It must be expensive and hard to get, right?” Yu Youqing asked.
Jiang Musheng finally relaxed internally.
With that question, the next step would likely be exchanging contact information to transfer payment.
Jiang Musheng nodded. “Yes, very expensive.”
Yu Youqing: “Teacher Jiang, I’m heading to Beicheng for filming tomorrow. I’ll definitely bring you back local specialties to repay you for this ointment!”
“I understand, I understand.” Seeing Jiang Musheng’s frozen expression, Yu Youqing quickly added to reassure her, “I’ll give them to you in person.”
No WeChat exchange needed no rush, Teacher Jiang.
Jiang Musheng slowly: “…?”