After Becoming a Cannon Fodder Side Character, I Became the Group’s Favorite (GL) - Chapter 59

Yang Zhou’s magazine was focused on Chinese aesthetics, with each issue introducing a city. It featured not only clothing but also sections on cuisine, architecture, and customs. It was clear she was dedicated to the magazine. It had recently been praised by official state media, and its popularity was gradually approaching that of mainstream magazines.

Xu Chacha was not so foolish as to miss this opportunity. “I’m eager to cooperate with you again, Teacher Yang. Why talk about compensation? That would break my heart.”

Yang Zhou’s face lit up with pleasure. “Then you agree!”

Xu Chacha nodded. “Just, may I make a small suggestion…”

“Go ahead.”

Xu Chacha began to calculate her small plan. “Can I bring my own styling team?”

“This…” Yang Zhou looked a bit hesitant.

“I know it’s difficult for you, I’m just suggesting it. You can think about it.” Xu Chacha pulled out her phone, suddenly acting like a salesperson. “You know this person; it’s Teacher Wen’s studio. Here are some of the Chinese aesthetic series she’s produced before…”

Xu Chacha flipped through a portfolio of works and showed her a list of employees, giving her a frantic pitch. Yang Zhou was dizzy but still processed the crucial information. “Teacher Wen? Well, that makes things easier. I can discuss it directly with her, but the final decision isn’t up to me alone.”

[LOL, she’s selling to Yang Zhou now]

[Sales Queen Xu Chacha! Go, go, go!]

[Wonder how much Teacher Wen paid for the ad. My ugly Tesbonway offers double!]

The scene cut back to the interior.

The contestants returned to the villa to remove their makeup. The challenge scores from the previous segment were displayed on the living room TV. Wu Yao was first, earning immunity from elimination. Cai Yuan was second to last, facing the danger of elimination.

She looked utterly annoyed, threw down her bag, and went upstairs alone.

[Can Cai Yuan’s explosive temper change? She doesn’t even bother to put on an act for the camera.]

[Her photo shoot didn’t look great either. She’s definitely going to be in the bottom ranks again this time.]

[It would be best if she was actually eliminated. She has no respect for anyone.]

Perhaps for dramatic effect, Cai Yuan had a lot of screen time this episode. Someone followed the camera crew into her room and was verbally lashed out at.

“Get out! Who let you in!” After she yelled that, she slammed the door shut, leaving the accompanying VJ outside staring blankly at the door.

Cai Yuan’s outburst might have been directed at the staff, but recorded by the camera, it gave the viewers in front of the screen the illusion of being personally scolded.

[Damn, why is she swearing at people?]

[Just a bit of experience and she thinks she’s a big shot. If she was so successful, would she need to join a competition?]

[If Cai Yuan isn’t eliminated, I’m quitting the show. I’ll just watch the finale later.]

During the elimination segment, the comments were almost entirely discussing Cai Yuan. Most were waiting for her to be eliminated, with only a small number of fans still arguing for her.

[Cai Yuan has depression. It’s normal for her to lose control of her emotions under pressure. Please be understanding.]

[What, is she the only one with depression? I don’t think her emotions have ever been normal.]

The contentious comments didn’t calm down until the official critique began, as people were still interested in the results.

Wu Yao was still the first in line.

[Ahhh! This pair is so sensual! Wiping my nosebleed.]

[It already felt great on set. After passing through Yang Zhou’s hands, this quality is good enough for a top-tier magazine cover, right?]

[This guest is better than expected. Her eyes have a lot of depth.]

[Yeah, Wu Yao’s strength is hard photos. Being able to hold her own against her shows some real skill.]

[The fact that Yang Zhou praised her like this speaks volumes, alright!]

Yang Zhou had been a mentor and judge many times, known for her sharp tongue and high standards, which had earned her a reputation but also offended many. However, she was fiercely protective of those she favored, allowing no one to criticize them.

So, her evaluation might not be entirely objective, but it was absolutely free of any hidden agendas or external factors.

Wu Yao’s photo scored very high. Out of a maximum of ten, after removing the highest score of ten and the lowest of eight and a half to get the average, the final score was 9.2, setting a new historical high.

Keep in mind that this group of judges was notoriously strict. Scores above eight were rare, generally ranging between 6.5 and 7.5. The previous highest score was 8.7, also held by Wu Yao herself.

Zhang Dingding smiled. “You should really thank Teacher Xu. Without her, the score for this photo wouldn’t have been this high.”

Wu Yao immediately bowed. “Of course! Thank you, Teacher Xu!”

[Some people are so talented yet so humble, while others keep messing up but are still arrogant and don’t respect their seniors.]

*[LOL, why don’t you just say that person’s name?] *

[Hurry up, when is it Cai Yuan’s turn? I’m waiting to see her make a fool of herself.]

Speak of the devil and she shall appear. Whether the production team deliberately edited it this way to create conflict or not, Cai Yuan was scheduled right after Wu Yao.

When her photo was displayed, even before the judges could speak, the comment section exploded.

[It’s settled, sisters! She’s finally leaving!]

[Cheering in advance!]

[Wager time! If Cai Yuan isn’t eliminated, I’ll copy the comments from this episode!]

Predictably, Cai Yuan’s photo this time was so poor that the mentors’ criticism was merciless, with few neutral terms, directly targeting her unprofessional attitude.

[It feels like Teacher Yang is about to swear.]

[Of course. She was probably holding it in the whole time during the shoot.]

[Teacher Yang is still a decent person. I would have blacked out by now, but she’s still patiently giving advice.]

Cai Yuan’s face quickly flushed upon receiving the criticism, and she angrily brought up the familiar arguments that the audience knew, but this time, it was even more excessive. Her dissatisfaction with Xu Chacha was overtly expressed. Regardless of Xu Chacha sitting on the judging panel, even if Xu Chacha were a fellow contestant, her words were too much.

The shock was so great that the comments, just like the atmosphere on set, went completely blank for several seconds.

[Is Cai Yuan insane?]

[It had to be you, Crazy Cai.]

[Even as a non-fan, I feel bad for Xu Chacha.]

But Xu Chacha didn’t need sympathy. She slowly fought back with a light, calm smile.

She was willing to lower her status and treat herself as an audience member, but she would not lower her standards, directly calling Cai Yuan’s photo trash.

[Ahhh! She speaks so well. Say more, please!]

[Four episodes in, the person who can finally handle this lunatic has appeared!]

[It’s great to have a wealthy background. She’s not afraid of offending people or saving face. It’s satisfying to hear her scold.]

[Cha: The worst-case scenario is I go home and be the richest person.]

[No, Teacher Xu, please keep selling things!]

After this episode aired, for the first time, a topic related to the show made it into the top three trending searches.

#XuChachaSlamsCaiYuan#

Some quick-thinking netizens even made a viral video clip of that segment, with the constantly repeated “trash” and “disgrace” being incredibly catchy. It was reposted tens of thousands of times. Once it became a meme, its circulation became even wider.

Don’t be too Cai Yuan.jpg

You stand there, I’ll get Teacher Xu to scold you.jpg

Xu Chacha was on her way back to her apartment when she saw these. She had missed too many classes and had a lot of catching up to do for her upcoming professional exams. Studying late in the dorm would bother her roommates, so she opted to stay outside.

She had just left the library, still carrying a thick stack of materials. She came in, kicked off her shoes, and threw herself onto the sofa, too tired to lift a finger.

She hadn’t had time to eat lunch or dinner and was long past being hungry. So, she was too lazy to get food. She scrolled through the comment section, which was much more lively than usual, occasionally replying to a few messages.

[How much do you charge for a proxy scolding, Teacher Xu?]

[Can you record another episode? Or at least be more active online!]

[Teacher Xu, Teacher Xu! I’m here to support you! I can’t afford the clothes, but I can afford the ice cream and Pang Da Hai tea. Do you have a link?]

Xu Chacha slowly replied to them one by one.

“I don’t do proxy scolding.”

“I only signed for one episode. I’ll be more active once I get through this busy period.”

“Ice cream: AS Official Flagship Store. Say my name for a member discount. For Pang Da Hai, buy from @Shasha.”

After her live stream with Shasha, the latter had taken a liking to her Pang Da Hai and privately asked for the link, buying several jars to stock up. Unexpectedly, the vendor had also watched the stream and proactively approached Shasha for an advertisement. After the deal was made, Shasha specifically called Xu Chacha to thank her.

Xu Chacha rested and replied to comments for a while, then stood up with her phone to pour herself a glass of milk before getting ready for bed.

Perhaps she stood up too quickly. She felt a dizzy spell in the back of her head. She tried to steady herself but found her legs weak, and her vision quickly blurred.

This kind of thing had happened before. She sometimes got low blood sugar when she skipped breakfast, which is why Xu Chacha could skip any meal but breakfast.

But this time felt a little different. She stood still and tried to recover for a while, but not only did it not improve, but she felt weaker and couldn’t even stand properly. Her heart was racing faster and faster, frightening her.

Xu Chacha felt something was seriously wrong. She shakily called Chen Qianqian, the person at the top of her recent calls list.

Chen Qianqian was already asleep, but she was a light sleeper and was quickly woken up by the phone’s vibration. She rubbed her eyes and answered the call.

“Cha, what’s wrong? Calling me so late?”

Xu Chacha didn’t reply immediately. Her heavy breathing grew longer with each inhale.

“Qianqian… I, I think…”

“What’s wrong with you?” Chen Qianqian was instantly wide awake. Her loud voice startled her roommates. “Cha, talk to me! Never mind, tell me where you are, and I’ll come find you.”

Xu Chacha swallowed with difficulty, holding her dizzy head as she spoke. “I… I’m back at the apartment. I’m so dizzy…”

After giving the address, she seemed to feel relieved. Her hand slowly relaxed, and she leaned back against the sofa, closing her eyes.

On the other end, Chen Qianqian shouted her name with no response, terrified to the point of tears.

Xue Miaomiao, who shared a dorm room with her, had also understood the situation. She climbed out of bed and asked, “What’s wrong? What happened to Chacha?”

Chen Qianqian had tears in her eyes. “I don’t know! She was breathing so heavily, then said she was dizzy, and after saying she was at the apartment, she went silent! Do you think something bad happened to her?”

Fearing the worst, Chen Qianqian didn’t even bother changing out of her pajamas. She just threw on a coat and ran downstairs. “I’m going to find her.”

“Wait, the door is already locked now,” her roommate peered out.

“Can’t I use the access card?”

“People who are already in can’t go out, and going in would deduct points.”

“Then what should I do?” Chen Qianqian clutched her phone, completely lost. “I’ll call an ambulance first. I’ll have them go there. Can’t waste time, right! Can’t waste time!”

“I’ll call,” Xue Miaomiao was calmer than Chen Qianqian. She quickly reported the address and the situation. After hanging up, the girls continued to discuss what to do.

“Someone has to go to the hospital to stay with her, but how do we get out?”

“What about Wen Mubai?” Xue Miaomiao suggested. “Do you have her number?”

“I have her on WeChat.” Chen Qianqian opened the chat. “I’ll tell her right now.”

Xu Chacha woke up around noon the next day.

Opening her eyes and staring at the unfamiliar white ceiling, she was slightly dazed. Just as she tried to prop herself up, someone stopped her.

“You’re on a glucose drip. Don’t move around. I’ll get you whatever you need.”

It was a stroke of luck that Xu Chacha’s long-term irregular eating habits hadn’t led to any major illness. Her collapse yesterday was merely acute hypoglycemia caused by malnutrition.

“Why are you here?”

Xu Chacha cautiously observed Wen Mubai’s expression, but she seemed distant, making it impossible to read her emotions.

But based on Xu Chacha’s experience, she was angry.

Wen Mubai handed her a glass of warm water without saying a word.

Xu Chacha’s heart pounded. “Are you mad?”

“Hand out.” Wen Mubai didn’t answer her question. She pulled something out of her pocket and placed it in Xu Chacha’s open palm. “I’ll help you pack your things this weekend.”

Xu Chacha looked at the metal key in her hand, her mind slow to process the information. She asked foolishly, “Pack my things for what?”

“To live with me.” Wen Mubai looked at her, her dark eyes so deep they seemed capable of swallowing a person whole. “Do you think I’d still trust you to live alone and mess around like this?”