Chapter 117: Reality Show
Mi Hongdou spent two whole days trying to process her conversation with Qiao Rubai. And the secret Qiao Rubai revealed filled her with endless what-ifs. Like, what were her own feelings when she first approached Ji Junxin in her previous life? And Ji Junxin’s? And had Ji Junxin ever liked her? If Ji Junxin had been open to same-sex relationships in her previous life, did that mean… she wasn’t completely straight in this life? …
These thoughts ultimately led nowhere. The past was the past, some answers would forever remain unknown.
Mi Hongdou spent these two days in a daze, her replies to Ji Junxin’s messages filled with complex emotions.
When she first realized her feelings for Ji Junxin, her first thought had been that Ji Junxin was straight, that she shouldn’t have any unrealistic expectations. She had then resolved to remain just a friend, carefully hiding her feelings, her restraint and effort… all based on the assumption that eventually, a good, reliable man would appear and give Ji Junxin a happy future.
But after Qiao Rubai’s revelation, the question was, should she be waiting for a good, reliable woman instead?
And wasn’t she, Mi Hongdou, the best, most reliable, and most devoted woman who loved Ji Junxin?
Although Qiao Rubai claimed not to know Ji Junxin’s true feelings in their previous life, or whether Ji Junxin’s refusal of the blind date and her subsequent trip abroad suggested an openness to same-sex relationships, Mi Hongdou still saw a glimmer of possibility in Qiao Rubai’s words.
After two days of agonizing over it, Mi Hongdou decided… she could try.
According to Qiao Rubai, Ji Junxin’s relationship with Jiang Duo in their previous life began around the time “Imperial Secrets” wrapped up. And since filming for “Imperial Secrets” had been longer in her previous life, it meant that now was roughly the time when Ji Junxin’s romantic feelings started to develop.
Mi Hongdou was glad that, because of her strong dislike for Jiang Duo and Zhang Zijing’s relationship in her previous life, she had been cold and distant towards Jiang Duo in this life, besides preventing Zhang Zijing from getting close to Ji Junxin. Whenever Jiang Duo tried to talk to Ji Junxin on set, Mi Hongdou would glare at her and chase her away. And in this life, Ji Junxin had overheard the conversation between Lu Gaoshi and Jiang Dingyi at Nan Tian, so she probably didn’t have a good impression of Jiang Duo. And with Jiang Duo’s terrible performance in “Imperial Secrets,” Mi Hongdou thought there was no way for Jiang Duo to catch Ji Junxin’s eye in this life.
But she couldn’t be too optimistic, there was always a chance…
Mi Hongdou decided that she still had to be wary of Jiang Duo during this filming. And she also hoped to repair her relationship with Ji Junxin, which had become strained after “Imperial Secrets” wrapped. Once they regained their closeness, she would subtly hint at her feelings, she couldn’t be too direct, in case Ji Junxin wasn’t ready yet, scaring her away would be a disaster.
Learning from Qiao Rubai that Ji Junxin wasn’t completely straight, Mi Hongdou’s suppressed feelings resurfaced. If Ji Junxin was open to it, then the person by her side had to be her! Thinking this, she started planning elaborate meals, preparing for her “Operation Bring the Foodie Home.”
Mi Hongdou didn’t know that while she was still planning her careful approach, someone else was becoming impatient.
Ji Junxin had thought that after “Divorce, So Be It 2” wrapped, Mi Hongdou would have more time for her. But that wasn’t the case!
After the wrap-up party, Mi Hongdou had disappeared for the entire afternoon, only replying to her messages that night. And for the next two days, although Mi Hongdou had returned to Jiang City after finishing her work in Shudian, their conversations felt… distant.
Distance, besides creating beauty, also created anxiety. Ji Junxin was increasingly eager to return to China, to see what was going on with Mi Hongdou.
During the filming of “Imperial Secrets” in Shudian, they had spent their days and nights together, filming, eating, sleeping, sharing everything, that was how she had managed to maintain the boundaries of friendship, although… she had almost crossed the line several times. And after filming wrapped, to detach from the role, she had had to cut off contact with Mi Hongdou, a painful decision. And then, before she could even recover, she had gone to Japan…
Being in Japan had its perks, the food, the mature yuri culture. But it also made her more impatient. She wanted to know what Mi Hongdou was doing, wanted to share their lives, even feared that the distance would make them strangers. And then Jiang Lingling went to Shudian… Ji Junxin was like a cat on a hot tin roof. She tried to calm down, but her anxiety only intensified.
By the time “Reality Online” started filming, and the crew arrived in Japan to pick her up, she really… didn’t want to film the packing scene! She had packed days ago! Couldn’t they just go back to China already!
The filming location was Wenlong Mountain, on the other side of the country.
Mi Hongdou left Jiang City early in the morning, a five-hour flight followed by a three or four-hour drive, arriving at the county near Wenlong Mountain around 7 PM.
By then, she hadn’t contacted Ji Junxin for almost a day.
The reality show, “Reality Online,” advertised 24/7 filming and live streaming, a complete detachment from reality. This detachment included no access to modern communication devices. So, the night before, when the crew came to film her packing, her phone had already been confiscated.
When she signed the contract for “Imperial Secrets,” she had also signed a preliminary agreement for “Reality Online.” The details hadn’t been finalized then, just a non-binding agreement of intent. The official contract arrived halfway through filming.
Seeing the program’s format – “24/7 filming, live streaming, complete detachment from reality” – Mi Hongdou had panicked. She had imagined Qiao Rubai abandoning them on a deserted island… Fortunately, the contract also stated that basic necessities would be provided, and although the conditions wouldn’t be luxurious, their safety and health would be guaranteed. But the specific content of the show, the details, were all omitted.
She had asked the person from Qiong Yu who brought the contract, but… he had just said that the project was being handled by a new team, it was highly confidential, he didn’t know the details.
So, all Mi Hongdou knew was that about a month after the release of “Imperial Secrets,” she would go to Wenlong Mountain for twelve days to film a reality show called “Reality Online,” 24/7 filming, live streaming…
When Qiao Rubai first mentioned the reality show, Mi Hongdou had known that with Qiao Rubai’s personality, it wouldn’t be like the other reality shows, with scripts, NGs, and reshoots, all for dramatic effect. But she hadn’t expected that Qiao Rubai would not only not provide a script, but also describe the show’s content with just one vague sentence: “Striving for a better life!”… Keeping the celebrities completely in the dark, 24/7 filming, live streaming, how could anyone sign such a contract!
Even the reborn Mi Hongdou hesitated.
She had even asked Ji Junxin about it. Ji Junxin said she had already signed. When asked about the show’s content, Ji Junxin had been clueless… She had just said that since Qiao Rubai asked her to sign it, she signed it, flipping to the last page and signing without reading the details, Qiao Rubai would take care of everything.
Such blind trust! Mi Hongdou had been so shocked that she almost choked.
Later… she had signed, of course.
An opportunity to spend more time with Ji Junxin, even if it was a dragon’s lair or a tiger’s den, she had to take it.
Mi Hongdou hoped that the reborn Qiao Rubai would be more reasonable. Even without a script, for a 24/7 live stream, they should at least know the general format or content. But she waited and waited, from the beginning of “Imperial Secrets” to its wrap-up, even after the film’s release, there was no further information.
At the wrap-up party for “Divorce, So Be It 2,” Qiao Rubai had revealed Ji Junxin’s secret, leaving Mi Hongdou in a daze. And although they had talked for a while, even as fellow time travelers, when Mi Hongdou asked about “Reality Online,” Qiao Rubai had just said that she would find out in two days, that she should just be herself, no preparation needed.
Although Mi Hongdou hadn’t gotten any specifics, she had gleaned one piece of information.
Around the time “Divorce, So Be It” premiered, another reality show, a licensed adaptation of a popular foreign program, featuring an all-male cast competing in outdoor challenges and puzzles, had also aired. It was an instant hit, igniting the nascent reality show market in China. Mi Hongdou, filming “Divorce, So Be It 2” in Shudian at the time, had been surprised. In her previous life, this show hadn’t aired until two years later, its popularity further boosting the growing reality show market. But then it was exposed for being heavily scripted, with retakes and manufactured drama to make the male cast appear more intelligent and capable… She hadn’t understood why a show from two years later was airing now. But soon, like in her previous life, at the peak of its popularity, the show was exposed for its fakery. At the wrap-up party, she had mentioned this to Qiao Rubai, wondering if there were other time travelers. And Qiao Rubai had calmly admitted that she was the one who had orchestrated the show’s early arrival, its purpose being its eventual exposure as fake and scripted.
Mi Hongdou had been stunned. She had thought Qiao Rubai was trying to get ahead in the reality show market, why help a competitor? And Qiao Rubai had said proudly, “Let them go first, to hype up the market, to create interest and anticipation for the real thing. And their eventual exposure will highlight our authenticity. After all, we’re filming 24/7, live streaming, a direct contrast to their fakery. Comparison highlights the difference. And they were going to be exposed anyway, I just sped things up a little.”
A businessman’s heart was truly unfathomable.
Qiao Rubai was candid about her business tactics, but when Mi Hongdou asked about her death in their previous life, she avoided the topic again, saying that there were still some loose ends, and she would tell her when the time was right.
Mi Hongdou knew Qiao Rubai was hiding something, but… she didn’t have the right to demand full disclosure. After all, they were just friends, employer and employee, not as close as she and Ji Junxin. But she knew that Qiao Rubai always had Ji Junxin’s best interests at heart, they were on the same page on that, and that was enough.
But even though she understood Qiao Rubai, when the “Reality Online” crew entered her life, confiscating her phone, cutting off contact with Ji Junxin for a whole day and night, Mi Hongdou was still frustrated.
And the most frustrating part was that after a long day of travel, arriving at the county near Wenlong Mountain, the crew told her that to maintain a sense of novelty, the participating celebrities were staying at different hotels and would only meet at the filming location tomorrow…
What novelty! Mi Hongdou was speechless! Most of them were from “Imperial Secrets,” they had filmed together for months!
But facing the cameras, she had to smile and express her understanding and anticipation.
A reality show, even without a script, can’t be completely unscripted, she thought, not realizing how wrong she was.
Not staying at the same hotel, unable to contact each other, she didn’t even know if Ji Junxin had arrived. Mi Hongdou, who had hoped to see Ji Junxin tonight, was disappointed.
Fortunately, although it was 24/7 filming and live streaming, the crew still had some sense of decency. For example, no cameras in the bathrooms… and when they weren’t filming, the cameramen wouldn’t follow them into their rooms, just using the fixed cameras. And at night, the cameras would only record video, no sound, and without lights, it would just be darkness, no night vision. After all… broadcasting a celebrity’s snoring or sleep-talking wouldn’t be very nice.
So, Mi Hongdou, no longer feeling the need to pretend, went to wash up and went to bed.
24/7 live streaming, how stupid, she thought, glancing at the cameras in her room before falling asleep.
Mi Hongdou, without her phone or access to the internet or TV, didn’t know that even though the cameras in her room only showed darkness, on the live stream page, which had opened last night, many people were constantly switching between the different camera angles for her room, watching the different yet similar darkness. And the comments section was filled with complaints about her going to bed so early.
Ji Junxin’s live stream also had similar complaints… After learning that they weren’t staying at the same hotel, she had also quickly washed up and gone to bed, even earlier than Mi Hongdou. And her fans, having only seen her on the plane and in the car, not even her packing, were unsatisfied!
Ji Junxin had many more fans than Mi Hongdou, so the complaints on her page were even louder. But… without access to the internet, the celebrities, isolated from the outside world, couldn’t see them.
However, besides the complaints about their early bedtime, there were also a few different voices in both comment sections, stubbornly proclaiming, “Support the CP! Reversible, but inseparable!” demanding that the show reunite them quickly.
Yes, those different voices were from the mysterious “Sweet Red Bean Soup” group!
The comments kept coming all night. If Mi Hongdou could see them, she would be amazed by the fans’ dedication, watching darkness all night. More accurately, she would be amazed by the influence of “Reality Online.”
But she didn’t know.
Early the next morning, Mi Hongdou sleepily got up and got ready. Soon, there was a knock on the door. The crew arrived, bringing a cart laden with breakfast.
Chinese-style porridge with youtiao and steamed buns, Western-style milk with toast, eggs, and bacon.
Although the contract didn’t specify the show’s content, Mi Hongdou, having seen a few reality shows in her previous life, knew that the usual format was to torture the celebrities. This extravagant breakfast and the crew’s cheerful demeanor were suspicious.
Mi Hongdou, wary, didn’t even touch the food.
Then, the staff member spoke: “Please enjoy this last meal before filming officially begins! Eat more!”
What the… Mi Hongdou looked at the cart full of food, a sense of foreboding washing over her.
After cautiously trying a spoonful of porridge, confirming there were no strange ingredients, she ate more than usual.
Both her own intuition and the crew’s attitude suggested… she was about to be abandoned on a deserted island! Mi Hongdou nibbled on a steamed bun, glancing at her suitcase, hoping they wouldn’t confiscate her things.
The crew said they could choose what they wanted to eat, and the rest would be eaten by the staff, no waste. So, Mi Hongdou took milk, toast, eggs, bacon, and a meat bun, returning the rest. Western-style breakfast had more calories, and the meat bun… well, if she was stranded on a deserted island, she would definitely miss the taste of meat.
Worried about the upcoming filming, she took a little extra. But she overestimated her appetite and was already full by the last bun. But… she still finished it. Firstly, for energy, and secondly… facing the cameras, she still cared about her image. I wonder how Ji Junxin is doing… she thought as she ate.
Meanwhile, the comments on Ji Junxin’s live stream were exploding.
Although the celebrities were staying at different hotels, the crew’s arrival time, the food, and their words were the same.
When the crew told Ji Junxin to choose her food and they would take away the rest, she said, “No need to take anything away.”
Although unsure about the show’s format, as Qiao Rubai’s friend, she had received some advice before joining, one of which was “Eat everything, eat as much as you can.”
Combined with the staff member’s earlier words, “Please enjoy this last meal,” Ji Junxin decided to take everything.
After she said this, the crew kindly reminded her not to waste food… But Ji Junxin, seemingly oblivious to the hint, started eating calmly and methodically.
By the time she finished the Western-style breakfast, the comments on her live stream were filled with amazement. After all, in their minds… celebrities didn’t eat. And Ji Junxin’s speed was incredible. While Mi Hongdou, on another live stream, had only finished two-thirds of her Western-style breakfast, Ji Junxin was already having porridge…
A bowl of porridge, two youtiao, two meat buns… after the Western breakfast disappeared, Ji Junxin elegantly finished the Chinese breakfast as well, not leaving a single crumb.
The comments section exploded with disbelief, many wondering if they were still dreaming, their goddess couldn’t possibly eat so much… And those who woke up late or were watching other celebrities missed the entire spectacle, begging for recordings.
When Ji Junxin finished eating and got into the car heading towards the filming location, the comments were filled with people saying they were now hungry after watching her eat, that they had to get out of bed and find food! Porridge, youtiao, and steamed buns, please! Milk, toast, bacon, and eggs too! This is a reality show, why are we hungry! Crew, come out, we promise not to hit you!
The legend of Ji Junxin devouring a double portion of breakfast spread online, and those who missed it begged for recordings, but the only available ones were low-quality, filmed on phones, incredibly unsatisfying!
“Reality Online” was trending because of a breakfast. Qiong Yu’s staff asked Qiao Rubai if they should upload the footage. Qiao Rubai said no, the scarcity would only increase the hype and drive traffic to the live stream, which would be beneficial for future online and offline interactions. After the twelve days of filming, the edited version would be broadcast on TV, which would attract even more viewers.
When Qiao Rubai first proposed the 24/7 live stream format, there had been strong opposition within Qiong Yu. The cost of the location and the equipment alone was exorbitant. And the audience also had jobs, who would watch a 24/7 live stream? But even before filming started, just the journey to the location, the number of viewers online proved them wrong.
This novel approach had piqued the audience’s curiosity, and Ji Junxin’s breakfast had made the show a trending topic.
Compared to the excited Qiong Yu staff, Qiao Rubai, the mastermind, was much calmer. She was confident in the show. 24/7 filming, live streaming, then edited episodes for TV broadcast, that was just part of the plan. The most interesting part was just beginning.
The official website for “Reality Online” had been launched a few hours before the crew arrived at the celebrities’ homes. The celebrities, still with their phones and internet access, had seen the website. At that time, it was just a simple introduction and individual live stream pages for each celebrity, with five camera angles to choose from. Of course, the camera placements would change during filming. The live stream allowed viewers to watch up to four different feeds simultaneously, either four different angles of the same celebrity, or different celebrities. But they could only hear the audio from one feed.
As the celebrities arrived at Wenlong Mountain, the website changed.
The individual live stream pages remained, but the main page now had three new camera angles: the main cameras for when all the celebrities were together. This was just a minor change. The biggest change was a strange, table-like… system at the top of the main page.
“Real-Time Online Game Data Statistics System.”
At first, many viewers were confused by this, but then, after examining it, they were stunned. Qiong Yu has gone crazy… that was the consensus.
In this system, each participating celebrity was treated as a game player.
Each player had a skill bar, an equipment bar, an inventory bar… as if they were characters in a game. There was no experience bar, but there was a “goodwill” value. And several hidden bars without labels, probably for future content. The final line, “More interactive elements coming soon, join us!” was intriguing, making them want to constantly refresh the page.
And some observant viewers noticed that the system… updated in real time!
Initially, all the players’ bars were empty, their goodwill value zero.
But two minutes later, someone refreshed the page, and while the others were still empty, Ji Junxin’s skill bar now had one word: “Eating.”
Unbeknownst to Ji Junxin, Weibo was now flooded with discussions about “Eating” as a skill.
This skill had exceeded the audience’s expectations for a reality show.
And the word “Eating” drove the number of online viewers to a new high.
Ji Junxin, on her way to the filming location, had forgotten all about breakfast. She was thinking about what the staff member had told her earlier: “Because your hotel is the furthest from the filming location, you might arrive a little later, but it’s okay, they’ll wait for everyone to arrive before starting.”
Why is it okay! It’s not okay! If they wait for everyone, then filming starts as soon as I arrive! I won’t have time to talk to Mi Hongdou! Unhappy!
Regardless of her feelings, when she arrived, the first person she saw was Mi Hongdou… and Jiang Lingling, chatting next to her.
Hmph! Haven’t you talked enough in Shudian! Ji Junxin didn’t approach, just watched from afar, and then… the two, engrossed in their conversation, didn’t even notice her!
Unhappy!
As the staff member had said, she was the last to arrive. Just as she hesitated, about to approach Mi Hongdou, the director’s voice boomed through the loudspeaker.
“Everyone’s here! Line up, line up, yes, by the small yellow flag, line up. We’re about to start filming!”
Ji Junxin slowly walked towards the flag. Before she could reach Mi Hongdou, a clear voice called out to her.
“Sister Junxin.”
She turned and saw Bao Yueqiao from Qiong Yu, smiling at her.
Right, besides the “Imperial Secrets” cast, a few from “Promise in Troubled Times” were also here.
“Yueqiao…” Ji Junxin was about to greet her when the director’s voice boomed again.
“Okay, everyone’s here, let’s begin!”
Wait! Ji Junxin glanced at Mi Hongdou, several people away. She hadn’t had a chance to talk to her! She mentally reached out, but then reason stopped her.
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