Chapter Seventy-Four: The Petty Man Triumphant

However, whenever she thought of what was about to happen, Jian An’an’s anger subsided considerably. Go ahead and gloat, Song Wan’ning—I want to see just how long your triumph will last after today.

She’d already offered a very high price before, so Jian An’an was confident that doubling it now would guarantee the other party accepted the job. No matter how beautiful Song Wan’ning might be, what use would it be in the end? She’d still be left a withered flower, ruined and discarded.

With these thoughts in mind, Jian An’an was suddenly unfazed by Song Wan’ning’s mockery. She smiled and said, “You’re right, Ningning. I really do need to be more careful. The doctor said yesterday that it won’t be long before my face is fully healed.”

Though she said this, Jian An’an was lying. She went to see the doctor every day, but each time he merely told her that it was hard to say and that she’d need further treatment. Anyone with a little knowledge could tell that the doctor was at a loss and was only trying to comfort her.

Every time she went to meet Zhou Xiancheng, she’d have to check in with her agent, Sister Yu, but every time, something involving Song Wan’ning would distract her and she’d forget all about it.

In her heart, destroying Song Wan’ning was far more important than healing her face.

Song Wan’ning understood perfectly well that Jian An’an’s face wouldn’t recover anytime soon, and that she was just putting up a front.

Still, there was a certain advantage to Jian An’an’s performance. Recently, people’s impression of her had soured because she’d spread rumors and falsely accused Song Wan’ning. But now, seeing her diligently working despite her swollen face, public opinion was beginning to shift in her favor.

Of course, there were also those who argued she’d only injured her face, not her hands or feet, so why shouldn’t she continue working?

The livestream chat was abuzz with debate, the viewers arguing heatedly over this very topic.

Song Wan’ning simply responded with a faint smile and said nothing more. Instead, she turned to the man beside her. “Jingxing, my hands are so cold. Can I borrow your pocket again?”

She admitted to herself that she was being deliberately provocative. She knew full well that Jian An’an was enamored with Wen Jingxing, and any woman who interacted with him would inevitably become the target of Jian An’an’s scrutiny, to determine whether they posed any threat to her.

In the novel’s plot, Jian An’an was truly ruthless. She destroyed countless women like Song Wan’ning—women who had little or no real connection to Wen Jingxing but had crossed paths with him in life. Even if their relationship was distant, Jian An’an would not let them go.

But ultimately, she was nothing more than a clown, because she was never able to shake Wen Jingxing’s core.

She had defeated countless women who had merely come into contact with Wen Jingxing, yet to him, those women were often barely acquaintances.

In the novel, however, Jian An’an was depicted as especially virtuous. The women she schemed against were all portrayed as wanting to seduce Wen Jingxing, and Jian An’an was simply defending what was hers.

But in the story, Wen Jingxing never belonged to anyone.

Wen Jingxing knew Song Wan’ning was putting on an act—she almost never called him “Jingxing” so affectionately. Still, he was happy to offer her his pocket, letting her slip her hands inside.

His large palm had already warmed the inside of the pocket. As soon as Song Wan’ning slid her hands in, she could feel it was even warmer than last time.

At first, she’d only wanted to provoke Jian An’an, but now, she truly didn’t want to leave.

Seeing her look so content, Wen Jingxing couldn’t help but smile as well.

When breakfast was over, Li Weiwei had yet to draw the identity cards and instead announced a very important piece of news.

“According to the weather forecast, a cold front will hit this area in the coming week. In consideration of our guests, the production team has arranged a major game to be held tonight. The pair who wins first place will, for the next six days, enjoy later starting hours—10 a.m. to 4 p.m.—and their workload will be halved.”

“The format will also be different from previous times. Each guest can perform any talent of their choice, or two people can collaborate. Our judges will select four performances, upload the videos online, and let viewers vote. The guest with the most votes will win for their entire team.”

“Talent performances will begin at 6:30 p.m., online voting opens at 9 p.m., and closes at 9 a.m. tomorrow. Guests and viewers, please familiarize yourselves with the rules.”

[Wow! The production team is really going all out with this event!]
[Can we really watch tonight? I’m so excited!]
[Talent show? Then our An’an is sure to win this time! Hahaha~]
[I recall that among all the guests, only Jian An’an can sing. The others don’t seem to have any special talents.]
[Right, so is the production team just handing the win to Jian An’an?]
[Does it matter? This is an online vote—we can all rally support for our favorites. Don’t be silly.]
[True!]
[But seriously, the weather’s going to get really cold. Everyone, make sure to keep warm.]

The guests were more eager than ever upon hearing Li Weiwei’s announcement.

After all, this was a reward that would last six days!

If they won any further task rewards after this, they could relax completely.

Jian An’an clenched her fists, steeling herself. This time, victory was hers.

She’d already done her research: among this group, only she had a special talent.

She couldn’t find much information about Wen Jingxing, but as for the others, she knew enough.

Nan Yan was highly educated, but her only skill was cooking.

Shen Yue, that foolish woman, was even less of a threat.

Among the three men, only Jiang Mingzhao was somewhat competitive—his singing voice was pleasant enough. As for the rest, Jian An’an was confident she could easily outperform them.

As for Song Wan’ning? She was not even worth considering.

Once the commotion had subsided, Li Weiwei continued, “Alright, the previous identity cards were valid for three days. Today, we’ll draw new ones.”

Everyone was already familiar with this process, as were the viewers, whose interest was beginning to wane.

But at the end, everyone realized something uncanny had happened: all four women had drawn outdoor roles.

Shen Yue was to be a gardener, Nan Yan a street vendor, Song Wan’ning a delivery worker, and for the first time, Jian An’an drew a role no one had ever gotten before—a security guard.

In other words, she’d be watching the gate.

The livestream chat exploded with laughter.

[Not bad, not bad—so young and already retired early as a security guard!]
[Uh-oh, the women are physically weaker to begin with, and now with the temperature dropping, they all got outdoor roles.]
[Is the production team rigging this?]
[I hope Jian An’an wins. She’s been working so hard lately—she deserves a break.]
[No! I love Song Wan’ning’s laid-back lifestyle! She works when it’s time to work, slacks off when she feels like it. That carefree attitude, I love it!]
[This is a talent show! Some people’s fans should stop fantasizing.]