The Male Lead's Sister Reborn (GL) - Chapter 31

“Hahahahahaha, my god, I’m going to die laughing! ‘Jiang the Strong’ wasn’t enough, now we have ‘Jiang the Fatty’ too?!”

“Actually, I saw the crack in that tree, but… Jiang Qian’s expression, and the expressions of the other guests—I can laugh at this for a year!”

“We are professionally trained; we wouldn’t easily laugh like this during a show unless we absolutely couldn’t help it!”

“Weren’t we promised a farming variety show? How did it turn into a ‘silly-fun’ show? I thought she was the most delicate and pure little sister, but she’s actually a strongwoman hahahaha!”

The observation group was going insane with laughter.

Completely oblivious, Jiang Qian stared at the tree in deep thought. Then she called the cameraman over: “Teacher, please come here for a moment. Come, take a close-up shot of the inside of this tree. It’s hollow! I really didn’t knock it down!”

The cameraman came over to film the tree, and the other guests gathered around. Their tired faces brightened up with festive laughter.

“Qianqian, I really didn’t expect… hahahahaha!” Wan Yue came over laughing to talk to Jiang Qian. She was clutching a large pile of elephant grass, and her face and hair were covered in grass stems; clearly, her task hadn’t been easy either.

Thinking she should look after her senior, Jiang Qian reached out: “Sister Wan, let me help you carry that…”

The elephant grass in Wan Yue’s arms was immediately transferred entirely into Jiang Qian’s embrace. Jiang Qian almost couldn’t hold it all.

Now unburdened, Wan Yue smiled brightly: “Thanks a lot! I was truly about to collapse from exhaustion. You’re so strong, you probably won’t find this tiring, right?”

Jiang ‘Super Strength’ Barbie-King ‘Qian’ squeezed out an awkward smile: “Mhm, not very tiring…”

Nearby, Jiang Zixi was dragging several thick bamboo poles. He looked envious and even wanted to ask if Jiang Qian could help share his load too, since she looked so strong anyway…

Jiang Qian spotted his intention. Before he could speak, she clutched the elephant grass and sprinted back at lightning speed.

Jiang Zixi and the others watched her retreating figure vanish in a blur. They looked at each other and collectively sighed after a long pause: “She really is strong. She can run that fast even while carrying such a huge pile of grass!”

“You can’t judge a book by its cover. Little girls have infinite potential too!”

“Impressive. Do young people nowadays have such good nutrition?”

The observation group was dying of laughter: “Holy crap hahahahaha, I can’t do anything but laugh, I’ve turned into a giggling machine.”

“I declare Jiang the Strong as my goddess. From now on, I’ll pray to her every day. Can I develop abs, pecs, and biceps faster that way?!”

“I want to see her abs; they must look great. I beg the production team to arrange it!”

Jiang Qian brought the grass back and met up with Shen Xiruo and Fang Yingxu. After resting for a bit, they waited for Jiang Zixi and the others to return. Together, they worked to prepare the food and fed the squeaking bamboo rats. Finally, the task was finished.

Everyone performed well and earned many points, but Jiang Qian had the highest score.

The director group explained: “Jiang Qian completed her tasks very well and her performance was outstanding. She gets the most bonus points. Does anyone object?”

Wan Yue and the others shouted in unison: “No objections!” After shouting, they clapped for Jiang Qian, winking and whistling at her, looking very happy.

Jiang Qian could only smile awkwardly.

Shen Xiruo looked at the guests and then looked at Jiang Qian with some confusion. Jiang Qian quickly put on an angelic smile and didn’t answer. Now, her only consolation was that Shen Xiruo didn’t know about her “Jiang the Strong” persona or the footage of her sitting a tree down. Otherwise, she would have lost face to the heavens.

At night, everyone could finally rest. They returned to the house to cook and eat together. Wan Yue, Shen Xiruo, and Jiang Zixi were all good at cooking. Each of them made two small dishes, which was enough for the six of them. Despite the limited conditions, the rustic country dishes tasted excellent, and everyone ate with gusto.

Shen Xiruo picked up a piece of meat from her sautéed garlic moss with pork and placed it in Jiang Qian’s bowl. Jiang Qian glanced at her. Shen Xiruo smiled slightly and said, “You worked hard today.”

Jiang Qian felt a surge of guilt. Does she know something?

As soon as Shen Xiruo spoke, Wan Yue, who was sitting nearby, also placed a piece of braised beef into Jiang Qian’s bowl, likewise smiling: “Seriously, Qianqian worked so hard today. It wasn’t easy; you should eat more.”

Then it spiraled out of control. Jiang Zixi also gave Jiang Qian food: “Heroine Jiang, you were amazing today. You must eat more to nourish your body!”

Cheng Yue, sitting far across the table, utilized his long limbs as a model to stand up and ladle a bowl of soup for Jiang Qian: “Eat up.”

Fang Yingxu looked left and right, appearing very confused and full of question marks. Why did everyone suddenly seem to be pampering Jiang Qian?

Jiang Qian looked at the mountain of food in her bowl: “…” What else could she say? She could only nod to everyone with tears in her eyes: “Thank you, everyone.”

Wan Yue patted her shoulder affectionately: “Oh dear, why are you crying? Are you that touched?”

Jiang Qian: “…” I don’t dare move, I don’t dare move. (Translator’s note: A pun on “touched” vs “don’t move” in Chinese).

After dinner, those who hadn’t cooked volunteered to wash the dishes. Jiang Qian intended to go too, but everyone pressed her into her chair, refusing to let her. They all said: “You worked hard today, get more rest. We’re counting on you tomorrow!”

Sitting in the chair, Jiang Qian just wanted to say, Don’t count on me! I don’t even know who to count on! I’m just a weak, pitiful, and helpless rookie actress, I’m really not the Super Strength Barbie of your imagination!

She sat on the hardwood bench that served as a sofa in the middle of the room, and Shen Xiruo sat beside her. Currently, the cameramen were in the kitchen filming. Seeing that no one was around, Jiang Qian finally whispered to Shen Xiruo: “Why did you come to this show? Didn’t you say you never do variety shows?”

“This is a show my company invested in, why can’t I come?” Shen Xiruo gave a faint smile, her eyes as beautiful as stars.

“Then… is it hard for you? You even cleaned that kind of place today. Are you tired?”

“Not tired. It’s quite interesting. I feel being a celebrity really isn’t easy.”

“It’s alright, just a bit of hardship. That’s how a show gets good results.”

“But, I don’t want you to be that tired.”

Shen Xiruo stared into Jiang Qian’s eyes. When she said this, her voice was so gentle it could have drifted away with the night breeze. But Jiang Qian heard it clearly and saw the watery tenderness in Shen Xiruo’s eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away, pretending to be concerned about the kitchen: “Why aren’t they finished washing yet? I’ll go check!” She ran away as if escaping.

Shen Xiruo watched her back, the corners of her mouth curling into an unreadable smile.

Night.

Jiang Qian was exhausted from the day, but it made her sleep poorly. She was tossing and turning at midnight when she suddenly heard a slight movement outside. She checked the time—it was 1:00 AM. The production crew had already withdrawn. Could it be a thief?

Jiang Qian put on her slippers, quietly got out of bed, and walked to the door. She pressed her ear to the gap to listen. The sound came from the side of her room; first, the sound of someone walking, then the sound of a door opening.

Maybe someone was going to the bathroom… Just as Jiang Qian was about to go back, she suddenly heard someone speak: “Why did you come?”

This was actually Shen Xiruo’s voice! Who was she questioning? Of the four bedrooms upstairs, besides herself and Wan Yue, there was only Fang Yingxu…

Sure enough, Fang Yingxu’s voice rang out with a hint of a smile: “And why did you come?”

Jiang Qian: “!!!”

Fang Yingxu’s tone and manner of speaking right now were completely different from the silly, bumbling persona he put on during the show. If it weren’t for the same vocal quality, she would have doubted it was the same person! It seemed Fang Yingxu had been faking it the whole time! Why was he playing dumb?

Shen Xiruo’s voice sounded after a long silence: “Who is the person behind you?”

Jiang Qian broke into a cold sweat. The person behind him? Fang Yingxu’s background really wasn’t simple! His relationship with Shen Xiruo wasn’t just childhood friends? Did he represent some interest group engaged in a wealthy family struggle with Shen Xiruo? Unfortunately, neither this variety show nor this person was written in the original novel!

Regarding Shen Xiruo’s side, the original book had very little detail. Even though Jiang Qian had transmigrated into the book, she had no clue about things the author hadn’t written.

Fang Yingxu let out a cold, sinister laugh that was quite bone-chilling. No one would have expected that he, who usually played a “silly-sweet” persona, could laugh with such a “villain boss” vibe. His laugh made Jiang Qian’s scalp tingle.

After he stopped laughing, he said in a low voice: “You know why he sent me here.”

Shen Xiruo’s tone was calm: “He wants to know my weakness.”

Fang Yingxu sneered again: “Hehe… perhaps.”

Shen Xiruo immediately followed: “Go back and tell him not to do anything against her. Otherwise, I will take your life.” She practically hissed those last few words through gritted teeth.

Fang Yingxu said softly: “That isn’t something I can control. I’m just a messenger.”

Then came the sound of Fang Yingxu’s footsteps and a door closing. After a while, Shen Xiruo also closed her door.

Jiang Qian, pressed against the door gap, heard the entire exchange. Her legs were shaking. She… how could she have forgotten that this was a world of melodramatic wealthy-family fiction? In this kind of world, there is no logic. You can’t assume Shen Xiruo’s family and relatives are normal just because Shen Xiruo seems normal.

On the contrary, people in wealthy families are all lunatics! She didn’t know if the person behind Fang Yingxu was Shen Xizhou or some other force, but it sounded terrifying and capable of threatening Shen Xiruo.

And who was the “her” that Shen Xiruo mentioned?

Jiang Qian spent a restless night. When she got up the next day, Shen Xiruo hadn’t woken up yet. She went downstairs but couldn’t find her. She went to Shen Xiruo’s door and knocked, thinking of asking about last night before the full camera crew arrived.

Shen Xiruo opened the door. She had heavy dark circles under her eyes, but her hair and clothes were tidy. Seeing it was Jiang Qian, she smiled: “What, want to go for a morning run with me?”

Jiang Qian shook her head and was about to ask if anything happened last night when an enthusiastic voice came from nearby: “Oh, my Great Queen, my Little Princess! Did you sleep well last night? It’s a new day, let’s embrace the sun together!”

Fang Yingxu walked over, winking at Jiang Qian, still acting like a pure “silly-sweet.” But looking at him, Jiang Qian felt an inexplicable fear and got goosebumps.

Just then, Shen Xiruo said calmly: “Go away.”

Fang Yingxu replied flamboyantly in a eunuch’s voice: “Yes! Your Majesty, this servant withdraws!”

Jiang Qian: “…” How does this Fang Yingxu have two faces! He was just a Western fantasy knight, now he’s in a palace drama. With this much acting talent, why isn’t he a writer?!

After Fang Yingxu left, Shen Xiruo squeezed her fingers: “Let’s go downstairs too.”

Jiang Qian hesitated but heard people calling her from downstairs. She had no choice but to follow Shen Xiruo, thinking it wouldn’t be too late to ask about these things after the filming ended.

Jiang Zixi saw her and waved: “Good morning, Jiang the Strong!”

Jiang Qian: “…Damn it! When did I get that nickname! This is slander! I’m not that strong!”

Everyone collectively winked at her with an “we understand, you don’t need to say it” expression.

Jiang Qian: Ready to die.jpg