The Trash A Really Doesn't Want to Go Viral [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 her involvement under wraps, only hinting that a mysterious guest would appear in this recording.

The three-hour flight from Songcheng to Beicheng brought a drastic temperature drop to below minus ten degrees Celsius. 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 Tian Tian had managed to obtain, the first day of filming would involve inspecting the guests’ luggage—a golden opportunity to win over the audience. Thus, Yu Youqing was advised to take this seriously.

The artist assigned by the company to collaborate with Yu Youqing was Yin Zi, a newly signed young girl. Her main task was to play along with Yu Youqing, occasionally acting as if she had fallen for her. Meanwhile, Yu Youqing was supposed to be a “central air conditioner,” charming every guest possible—strictly following the company’s strategy. Either she would rise from the publicity or perish in it.

For easier communication, Yin Zi and Yu Youqing exchanged contact details. Right after greeting her, 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 pairing her with 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 fight the cold, hehe.

Yu Youqing stared at her empty suitcase, feeling troubled. In her past life, she had never gotten this chance, so she had no idea what to expect in the snowy mountains. But since they were heading to such a frigid place, the activities were likely snow-related—maybe skiing.

Equipment would probably be provided, so all she could think to bring were essentials like heating pads, self-heating hot pot, and instant noodles. After some research, she found that some guests who performed poorly in tasks even struggled to get meals.

Unable to decide, 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? The internet connects us—maybe I’ll end up sharing an apartment with my favorite star!

There weren’t many answers under the post, and as the OP said, the replies were clearly fantasies.

Thanks for the invite. Waking up every day on my idol’s 500-meter bed feels amazing. Too busy to chat with you guys.

Wake up, it’s not even midnight yet and you’re already dreaming?

Why can’t I ever get out of 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 flashed across Yu Youqing’s mind.

Isn’t this like living 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 very 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 TV, and much more down-to-earth than I imagined. Who knew even celebrities worry about their homes feeling lifeless from being empty too long, hence renting it out cheap? (laughs)

Since she was anonymous, she wasn’t worried about being recognized. She had planned to 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. Which celebrity would let a regular person live in their home? And which regular person wouldn’t freak out seeing their idol? I don’t buy it.

Idol fanfiction at its finest. Even in dreams, you make it sound so real.

Yu Youqing found the comments amusing, most of which dismissed her story as pure fantasy. That suited her just fine—if people actually guessed who it was, Jiang Musheng’s team would probably despise her.

Since everyone assumed it was made up, some replies grew bolder, teasing: If it’s a dream, why not go all out? Your idol appearing in front of you is like a deity descending. Might as well pull the god off their pedestal—that’s the real thrill. OP, go for it and win your idol over!

Yu Youqing stared at this reply, lost in thought.

Compared to her own career—peaking early only to decline steadily—Jiang Musheng was her polar 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 skill.

Even at the height of her fame, Yu Youqing was still called a “pretty face.” Meanwhile, Jiang Musheng, though not yet a lead at the time, won widespread acclaim for her performances. Yu Youqing secretly watched every one of Jiang’s shows, though she’d never admit how deeply they moved her.

Later, when Jiang Musheng went abroad for two years to star in indie films, Yu Youqing’s career was already faltering. Driven by some inexplicable urge, she started 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 all she found was proof—Jiang did nothing but act, never engaging in scandals or publicity stunts. Even when swarmed by fans at events, she remained unflappable, once catching a stumbling fan with a gentle reminder to be careful.

Just as her fans said, Jiang Musheng maintained mutual respect and distance, letting her work speak for itself.

OP, dare to reply?

Yu Youqing’s thoughts were pulled back by this comment. Who said it was most thrilling to drag the deity in one’s heart down from the altar? Yu Youqing clicked on the comment and typed a reply:

Anonymous User 009 replied: Why must the deity 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 snowy mountain. The internet buzzed with discussions, with many comments advising their favorite celebrities on what to bring. Yu Youqing initially intended to copy others’ suggestions, 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 snowy mountain? Isn’t this a survival test?

Anyone but Yu Youqing, please. She’s been all over my homepage because of that red carpet appearance—so annoying. Enough with the hype!

Please, please announce if Shengsheng is going! She starred in a snowy mountain rescue movie before—these snow games would be child’s play for her. We’re going crazy without any Shengsheng content!

Oh damn, could they really invite Teacher Jiang?

Wishful thinking. Shengsheng rarely does variety shows, and she’s on vacation now.

Yu Youqing took note. Jiang Musheng was renowned for her professionalism—she would master every skill required for a role. Surely, Jiang Musheng would know what to bring to a snowy mountain. How could Yu Youqing pass up such a valuable resource?

Flipping through her phone, Yu Youqing suddenly realized she didn’t have Jiang Musheng’s contact information.

Back then, she thought it was fine to only have the butler’s number since she wouldn’t need to contact the landlord. Now, living under the same roof, she found the lack of contact details inconvenient.

But Jiang Musheng hadn’t mentioned exchanging numbers when she returned, and upon reflection, Yu Youqing understood. Big stars guarded their privacy, and their co-living arrangement had to remain confidential.

Someone as boundary-conscious as Jiang Musheng probably didn’t want to be disturbed.

As Yu Youqing stared blankly at her suitcase, a sudden noise from upstairs startled her. She looked up and was shocked to see Jiang Musheng, dressed in pajamas, descending the stairs drowsily.

??

Teacher Jiang? She’d been home this whole time?

Perhaps her expression was too horrified, because Jiang Musheng’s sleepiness seemed to vanish under her gaze. Her dark eyes reflected Yu Youqing’s image.

“Strange?”

“N-No.” Yu Youqing instinctively hid her phone behind her back. “I didn’t realize Teacher Jiang was home.”

“Mhm. Slept all day.” As if oblivious to Yu Youqing’s awkwardness, Jiang Musheng walked over and glanced at the suitcase. “Leaving?”

Yu Youqing hurriedly explained, “I have a variety show shoot in the snowy mountains tomorrow. I was actually hoping to ask you—what should I bring?”

“Let me see what you’ve packed.”

Jiang Musheng had intended to help Yu Youqing check for missing essentials, but when she saw the suitcase stuffed 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 allowed to keep any of these—the production crew will confiscate them immediately,” Jiang Musheng said, having seen the clear regulations in the program guidelines that all food items would be taken during the initial 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 walked to the study and took out a tube of frostbite ointment from the first aid kit.

“Take this. Apply it when your hands get cold—it prevents frostbite.” Her eyes lingered briefly on Yu Youqing’s hands.

Yu Youqing’s hands were beautiful—pale, slender, with rounded fingertips like fine jade.

“I couldn’t possibly take yours. I can buy my own,” Yu Youqing refused with repeated waves of her hands, even stepping back to emphasize her stance. “I’m already imposing enough by staying here with Teacher Jiang.”

The frostbite 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 inwardly.

Jiang Musheng hadn’t left yet, standing nearby watching. Yu Youqing felt like a misbehaving student under the scrutiny of a homeroom teacher 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 crack 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 it—”

Slender fingers swiftly took the ointment from Jiang Musheng’s hand, and Yu Youqing straightened up abruptly in front of her.

“Thank you, Teacher Jiang! You’re so kind—I’ll take it!” Yu Youqing was certain she had practically snatched the ointment from Jiang Musheng. 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 felt relieved inside.

A question like that usually led to requests for contact details to transfer payment or similar.

Jiang Musheng nodded. “Yes, expensive.”

Yu Youqing: “Teacher Jiang, I’m leaving for Beicheng tomorrow for the recording. I’ll definitely bring back local specialties to repay you for this ointment!”

“I understand, I understand,” Yu Youqing added quickly, noticing Jiang Musheng’s frozen expression, eager to dispel any concerns. “I’ll give them to you in person.”

No need for WeChat—no rush, Teacher Jiang.

Jiang Musheng slowly: “…?”