After Being Hopeless at Singing and Dancing, I Exploded in Popularity Due to My Appetite - Chapter 55

Xu Ruixi was the actress who played Qi Zheng in Hidden Blaze!

The one who was attracted to Lin Qianman’s beauty!

These two sentences flashed through Tao Nian’s mind. Before she could process her emotions, Lin Qianman pushed Xu Ruixi aside, got up, and walked out, pointing the camera at the dishes on the table as she moved: “What’s wrong? I’m eating out.”

When Tao Nian called a second time, Lin Qianman actually still didn’t plan on answering.

She hadn’t seen the hot search yet, but just by looking at the title, she could guess it was a hot search bought by the show’s production team. Such a direct tag clearly meant they were trying to bundle market (CP hype). Her friends were also adding to the commotion, and if she really video-called Tao Nian in front of them, she didn’t know how they would tease her.

But Xu Ruixi was causing a fuss next to her, and she accidentally clicked the wrong button.

Fortunately, Tao Nian had already been attracted by the dishes on the table. She swallowed, saying: “There’s a yellow meat there!”

Lin Qianman had already reached the door. Hearing this, she looked back and told her: “That’s sweet and sour pork with pineapple.”

Tao Nian eagerly asked Lin Qianman: “Is it delicious?!”

Half of the table consisted of actors, for whom body management was extremely important. Gathered together, they didn’t dare to eat or drink freely. The sweet and sour pork was a bit far from Lin Qianman, and she hadn’t eaten it either. So, she truthfully told Tao Nian: “I don’t know. You can come and try it when you have time.”

Tao Nian: “But I’m in B City right now.”

The door was already closed, and Lin Qianman’s voice grew fainter. But the people in the room still heard the last sentence: “Eat when you come back.”

The people left in the private room looked at each other, then clicked on the hot search to carefully see what astonishing words that child named Tao Nian had said.

Lin Qianman was right; if she had really answered the phone in front of her friends, they would definitely have teased her.

But she was wrong about one thing.

This hot search wasn’t bought by the production team; it was pushed up by netizens.

Earlier, during the show’s recording, “QianNian” CP fans had already gone to watch. After returning, they couldn’t help but excitedly share the joy of their CP coming true with friends, making even the CP fans who hadn’t gone watch the show extra excited.

Because the “QianNian” CP was gaining strong momentum, it inevitably also drew dissatisfaction from Lin Qianman’s solo fans, Lin Qianman and Xu Ruixi’s CP fans, Tao Nian’s anti-fans, and Tao Nian’s haters.

Oh, yes, Tao Nian’s solo fans were not dissatisfied.

Because all of Tao Nian’s fans originally followed her because of Lin Qianman. Now that they were solo fans, it meant they genuinely liked Tao Nian. But liking Tao Nian didn’t mean they disliked Lin Qianman; they couldn’t bring themselves to speak ill of Lin Qianman. At most, they were dissatisfied with the studio, wondering why they were trying to force a CP between two people of such vastly different statuses!

Except for the “QianNian” CP fans, almost everyone else was either cursing or worrying.

Tao Nian is trying to hype herself with Lin Qianman, isn’t she afraid of messing it up and getting stuck, never being able to recover?!

In this kind of online environment, the show aired.

At the beginning of the AD Girls’ Group’s appearance, along with the canned screams, many netizens quietly turned on the bullet comments (danmu) to see what others were saying.

Tao Nian had very little screen time for the first half hour. Although she stood in the center, wearing a pink and white shirt and short skirt, looking youthful and vibrant, like a thriving peach in spring.

But she just didn’t have any interesting “bits” (gags or talking points). The hosts tried hard to give her topics, but she just couldn’t pick up on them.

Even a good-looking, vibrant piece of wood standing in the center is still just a piece of wood!

Some viewers in the bullet comments were already predicting failure.

“Tao Nian has no variety show sense at all, it’s too awkward.”

“Did they add a pillar in the middle of the crowd? She can’t even control the stage as a leader, and she can’t pick up on jokes. This is too awkward.”

“I told you, Tao Nian on Idol 101 was just acting like a cute airhead most of the time. She actually has no original material; she’s completely just playing a comedian’s script!”

The fans who had watched the live recording were very calm, feeling they didn’t need to argue with them. They knew they would all be proven wrong eventually.

The show quickly moved to the game segment.

The Sweet Peaches then started posting bullet comments: “It’s starting, it’s starting.”

“High energy ahead, please put down your food and water.”

“I’ll only say this once, this is not a mealtime variety show! Please cherish your dinner and put down your bento boxes!”

“I’ll say it again, this is not a mealtime variety show! Please cherish your dinner and put down your bento boxes!”

“I’ll say it one more time, this is not a mealtime variety show! Please cherish your dinner and put down your bento boxes!”

“I’ll say it again and again and again…”

“Please stop or I’ll just dump my food on your face!”

The clever Sweet Peaches had already turned off the bullet comments and started watching the show seriously.

The game was a common one on this show, played frequently, and everyone more or less knew the rules.

The AD Girls’ Group stepped forward in order of their ranking to draw cards.

Tao Nian’s turn.

An Ace.

Tao Nian answered the question.

What do you do when you’re home alone?

“Eat!”

“Good, that’s very Tao Nian.”

“I’m dying laughing, eating alone at home, eating one meal for one day?!”

Tao Nian’s turn again.

An Ace.

Tao Nian answered the question.

What kind of music do you like?

The show cut out Tao Nian’s initial answer of “anything.”

It directly spliced in Tao Nian’s hesitant reply: “The last time I listened was Lin Qianman’s song.”

It has to be said that this way, it was much more explosive than first saying “anything” and then only saying Lin Qianman’s name after repeated questioning from the host.

Anyway, the bullet comments had already exploded.

“Hahahaha, the last time she listened was Lin Qianman’s song. But you’re a girl group member whose main focus is singing and dancing!”

“Teacher Zhuang, who diligently taught you vocals and arranged music for you for two months on the show, is probably crying himself unconscious!”

More of the CP fans said: “I’m literally shipping them to death, brainstorming ten thousand words.”

“Please elaborate on those ten thousand words!”

“Ahem, for example, a pair of mandarin ducks turning over crimson waves on a brocade quilt, a peach blossom branch carrying spring rain, then coughing while asking if the singing is good, and then singing while coughing. The moon and stars shyly hid. I can’t say anymore, the word count is about to exceed the limit.”

“It hasn’t exceeded! Bullet comments can be one hundred characters long, please continue writing!”

The show continued.

Tao Nian drew again.

Still an Ace.

“Hahahaha, help! Tao Nian has been unlucky since she was a child!”

“Only three rounds played, and all three times she got the smallest card. It’s so unlucky it makes me suspect there’s foul play! Are they trying to give Tao Nian more screen time in a roundabout way? Is this fair to other contestants? The production team must give an explanation! And the props team, come out and take your beating!”

At this moment, a CP fan called out to the previous CP fan: “Madam, quick, look! The bullet comments complaining about foul play have more characters than yours. Please, keep writing; there are enough characters!”

Three Aces in a row. The host started joking, confiscating the Ace from Tao Nian’s hand and telling her to draw again.

Tao Nian drew again.

A 2.

“Hahahaha, Tao Nian, what’s wrong with you? Why are you so unlucky?!”

“Help, is this the chosen one? So funny.”

“Next season, if you’re not in God of Gamblers, I’m not watching!”

Tao Nian answered the question.

Favorite animal.

“Qilin!”

The host led the charge in making fun of her. The bullet comments were also filled with “hahahahas.”

“She likes Qilin, but how would she raise one? I’m dying laughing.”

“Like raising countless statues at home? Combing statues, scooping poop, feeding statues every day?”

“I’m dying laughing, do statues need feeding?! Don’t you just burn incense and kowtow to them?!”

CP fans:

“Others’ small homes have two people and a dog or two people and a cat, diligently scooping poop. The ‘QianNian’ home has two people and two statues.”

“No, no, no, the ‘QianNian’ home has one person and two statues: one Qilin stone statue, one Tao Nian sand statue.”

“Hahaha, are you two the legendary variety show people?”

“No, no, no, I’m just an ordinary insult-thrower.”

Some people were regretting:

“Thanks to the netizen who first reminded me this isn’t a mealtime variety show. Good person, may you live a peaceful life.”

“Unfortunately, I didn’t listen. My bento box fell because I was laughing too wildly just now.”

“I choked on my milk tea, and pearls shot out of my nostrils.”

“I’m different. I laughed so loudly that my neighbor came over and slammed on my door, then dumped my bento box on my face. Now my head is covered in seaweed and egg drop soup. I was wrong, I shouldn’t have opened this show in the first place. If I hadn’t opened the show, I wouldn’t have seen the bullet comments from the good person, I wouldn’t have boasted about dumping food on their head, I wouldn’t have laughed so loudly, I wouldn’t have had my door slammed, and I wouldn’t have been covered in seaweed and egg drop soup (allowing tears).”

“Please tell us your story! (Microphone)”

And some people were still tirelessly calling out: “Madam, quick, look! The bullet comments about being covered in seaweed and egg drop soup have more characters than yours. Please, keep writing; there are enough characters!”

The game continued, and Tao Nian drew again.

The bullet comments were all “Ace!”

And sure enough, it was an Ace.

The screen was filled with “High energy ahead!”

Then!

Then came a commercial break.

…

“I’ve got my pants off, and you’re showing me this?”

Angry netizens stormed Tao Nian’s Weibo account, leaving comments: “Baozi (bun), next time there’s a game like this, please don’t hesitate to tag Lin Qianman, okay? Look at how unlucky you are, your face is as dark as if you just dug coal!”

“No, OP, did you misspell it? Shouldn’t it be baozi (baby)?”

“…Isn’t it because she lost a tooth and her face swelled up like a bun?”

“Hahaha, that’s her!”

“Am I wrong to call her baozi?!”

“No!”

Netizens grew increasingly bold: “Tao Nian is literally a baozi!”

“Hahaha, exactly!”

Seeing that the commercial break was about to end, the viewers quickly switched back to the show.

The host was still holding the slip, walking towards Tao Nian while reading the question: “Which teammate do you think is the prettiest?”

The “High energy ahead!” bullet comments had already filled the screen.

Then!

Without another commercial, Tao Nian, without hesitation, her eyes firm, said: “Lin Qianman!”

“Ahhhhhhh, I declare that QianNian is the realest!”

“Get married immediately! The main characters are practically shoving candy into my mouth!”

“Silly Peach! They asked about a teammate! Even if you secretly think Sister Lin is the prettiest, you shouldn’t say it now! What nonsense am I saying?! Nian Nian, don’t listen, don’t pay attention! Sister Lin is the prettiest, and you two are super compatible—that’s the real truth!”

The rest of the show was consistently funny. Tao Nian and Zhang Jingyue’s Pictionary, with Zhang Jingyue’s official teasing being the most lethal. In the talent show segment, Tao Nian, who had a huge gap in popularity, ate a bowl of noodles in two minutes. In reality, she just shoved it all into her mouth and kept chewing while hiding behind Zhang Jingyue.

Fans were dying of laughter, and while laughing, they pushed this episode to the hot search.

This was the hot search Lin Qianman saw.

However, Lin Qianman hadn’t even had time to look at it before Tao Nian’s call pulled her out.

Lin Qianman asked Tao Nian: “What’s wrong?”

Tao Nian was still preoccupied with the dishes on Lin Qianman’s table. She had been very busy these past few days, with no time to sleep. Her meals were always bento boxes, and she ate while rushing in the car when others caught up on sleep. The quality of her food had severely declined: “Is it delicious?”

The restaurant where they were dining was, of course, a private kitchen run by a friend, offering both privacy and good food. Lin Qianman nodded: “It’s pretty good.”

Seeing Tao Nian’s expectant look, she promised: “I’ll definitely bring you here to eat when you come back.”

Tao Nian awkwardly agreed.

Seeing that the two of them were about to just stare and talk nonsense again, Xiao Nan quickly asked: “Elder Lin, forgive my rudeness in calling you, but I just wanted to ask, does Nian Nian still need to get vaccinated?”

Lin Qianman shook her head: “It’s fine, she doesn’t need it.”

Anyway, Tao Nian, being a Taotie, wouldn’t get rabies, so she didn’t need the shot: “Getting a shot can be quite painful.”

Tao Nian gave Xiao Nan a triumphant look, like a child with adult backing: “See? I told you, Sister Lin said I don’t need it.”

Lin Qianman smiled: “Yes, no more shots.”

She looked at Tao Nian for a while and said: “I’m still having dinner with friends. We can talk more when I get back, okay?”

Tao Nian nodded, reminding her: “You must try that sweet and sour pork with pineapple to see if it’s delicious.”

Lin Qianman: “Okay, if it’s delicious, I’ll take you to eat it.”

After she finished speaking, she wanted to hang up: “You rest, I’ll go back and taste the dishes. Goodbye.”

Tao Nian was happy. Hearing this, she first nodded, then suddenly thought of something and called out to Lin Qianman: “You’re eating with Qi Zheng!”

“She’s not called Qi Zheng; she just played a character named Qi Zheng.”

“You’re eating with her!”

“Just eating.”

Tao Nian felt strange inside. She kept thinking about that rainy night, feeling she understood something, but when she thought about it closely, she didn’t know exactly what it was. She instinctively felt a little shy but didn’t know why.

She wanted to ask Xiao Nan, but Xiao Nan was even dumber than her, useless at everything.

Besides, if she asked Xiao Nan, wouldn’t Xiao Nan also go watch the movie?

Even stranger.

Unable to do anything else, she could only ask Lin Qianman: “What were you two doing that day, the day it rained?”

Lin Qianman repeatedly emphasized: “It wasn’t me and her! It was Ruyue and Qi Zheng!”

“Then what were they doing? Why did they do that?”

Tao Nian’s eyes were innocent.

Lin Qianman: “Let me think about how to tell you.”

“Okay~”

When Lin Qianman pushed open the door and re-entered, her friends had already finished reading the hot comments under the hot search and had watched some clips of the show.

Thinking back to how Lin Qianman had just spoken to Tao Nian, and then looking at Lin Qianman, their expressions started to become subtle.

Lin Qianman came in and felt that the atmosphere was a little off. However, it had already been off before, so she didn’t pay much attention. She casually picked up her chopsticks and took a piece of sweet and sour pork with pineapple.

The atmosphere became even more unusual.

In the subtle atmosphere, a certain screenwriter coughed and gave Lin Qianman a look: “Well, dual female leads aren’t impossible to write.”