Chapter 29: The Movie Star Keeps a Black-Hearted Vixen

"Song, would you mind if I took charge of this meal?" Wen Tian turned to ask Song Heqing.

Since someone was volunteering to do the work, Song Heqing had no objections. He nodded, "Sure, go ahead. We'll help you with the prep work."

"It's my first time cooking in front of so many people, so I'm a bit nervous," Wen Tian said, looking at Song Heqing with a pitiful expression. "I'll have to rely on your help, Song."

Song Heqing was a gentleman to the core, especially on the show, and rarely refused the requests of female guests. He nodded in agreement, "It’s no trouble at all."

Su Tang felt like she could grind her teeth to dust. Wasn't Wen Tian clearly trying to use this opportunity to get closer to Song Heqing? It was the curse of not knowing how to cook—she couldn't just keep making beggar's chicken every day, and besides, everyone was already tired of eating pheasant.

Shen Lü found Wen Tian’s sycophantic behavior toward Song Heqing disgusting. Not wanting to hover around her, he walked over to Su Tang instead. "Su Tang, shall we go to the backyard to pick some chili peppers and scallions?"

Coincidentally, Su Tang didn't want to linger there either; staying would only highlight her own inadequacies. She certainly wasn't going to do that. She simply followed Shen Lü outside.

The two grabbed a vegetable basket and walked into the small backyard. Over the past two days, the chili peppers, scallions, and other seasonings in the garden had been mostly depleted. Su Tang scanned the area back and forth. "Once these are gone in a couple of days, we'll have to use our points to trade for more."

Shen Lü nodded. "But catching wild pheasants has become increasingly difficult these past two days, and that pig is even harder to deal with. Everyone's points are just about gone."

It was true; the prices at the convenience store were exorbitantly high, and no one had many points left. At this thought, the two exchanged a silent, resentful look at the camera.

The audience finally couldn't bear it anymore. Watching the guests who had arrived in the first episode gradually become so rugged—while they found it amusing, they also felt a twinge of pity.

*LuluBaby*: [TvT Director, are you there? Can you make an exception?]

*LittleSaltedFish*: [Director, please look at these poor kids? They've all starved until they're thin! (Just kidding)]

Once the first comment appeared, the rest of the viewers followed suit with a barrage of bullet comments.

Seeing the comments scrolling rapidly, the director finally relented. As Su Tang and Shen Lü returned from the small garden, the director announced: "Well, it seems everyone has caught plenty of pheasants, so the difficulty will naturally decrease from here on out. If you want to earn more points, look forward to tomorrow's new task."

"What's the new task, Director? We're all so familiar now, give us a hint!" Chang Qinghua said with a cheeky grin as he walked toward the director.

Seeing Chang Qinghua approaching, the production team hurriedly retreated a few steps with deadpan expressions. "It will be announced tomorrow. Just wait a little longer."

Wen Tian looked at the production team, aggrieved. "Director, you’re so stingy! Don't you think so, Song?" She poked Song Heqing as she spoke.

Song Heqing, who had been observing Su Tang and Shen Lü, gave a perfunctory response when he heard Wen Tian mention him. "Hmm."

In a corner, Shen Lü and Su Tang were whispering.

"I can't believe it actually worked," Su Tang remarked, genuinely surprised. Was this the charm of a live variety show?

Shen Lü nodded, looking somewhat excited. "The director said they’d announce it tomorrow. That must mean they haven't decided what it is yet."

Su Tang agreed. "I think you’re absolutely right."

Shen Lü chuckled and raised his hand for a high-five. "It's a deal then. No matter what the task is, you can't abandon me."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Su Tang raised her hand and high-fived him back.

*HappyGoLucky*: [It’s true, you only see the other side of celebrities when they join variety shows...]

*ShenLuBaby*: [Exactly, my Shen Lü isn't even as arrogant as he used to be, hahaha.]

*LittleLu*: [Even though Shen Lü is cool when he sings with that stone-faced expression, he’s so cute on this show!!!]

*LazySheep*: [This Su Tang is actually quite likable. I don't understand why she did so many confusing things before.]

*GirlWhoKnows*: [I know, right? Shen Lü seems to like her quite a bit, and he's famous for having a bad temper in the industry.]

*Hula*: [If Little Lu approves of someone, they must be good. But why did she act like that before?]

The comments section exploded into a heated discussion; no one could figure it out. Su Tang’s personality was actually quite charming, so why had there been so many head-scratching moments in the past?

Then, a different voice emerged.

*SpongeBob*: [Is it just me, or is the way Shen Lü looks at Su Tang a bit different? The two of them seem to be getting along exceptionally well.]

*LittleLuBaby*: [It does seem that way...]

Just like that, a wave of "Green-Sugar" (Shen Lü and Su Tang) shippers flooded the comments.

*Patrick*: [But I’m a fan of the Qing-Tang (Chang Qinghua and Su Tang) CP...]

*WarmSheep*: [Can I ship both?]

The comment section began to fill with various ship names, leaving the production team unsure of which pairing to promote. There were two female guests and three male guests, meaning there were several potential pairings. However, the fans of every other guest refused to ship anyone with Wen Tian. The production team, well aware of the risks, didn't even consider her.

Su Tang was stunned when she saw the comments. *No, no, you guys have to ship me with Qinghua!*

She instinctively glanced at Song Heqing, who was helping Wen Tian with the prep work, hoping he hadn't seen the comments. She couldn't tell if he had or not, but she did notice him chopping vegetables with such intense force that she felt the cutting board might crack at any moment.

The others had clearly seen the comments as well, and there were mixed reactions of joy and sorrow. After glancing at the screen, Wen Tian immediately lowered her head and went back to work, her thoughts unreadable.

While the food was cooking, Su Tang caught the scent of the dish and felt a bit hungry, as she hadn't had pork in a long time. She had originally considered using her magic to make Wen Tian’s dish burn, but after a moment’s thought, she decided against it.

001, naturally, knew exactly what she was thinking, having seen her fingers twitching as she prepared to cast a spell.

001 warned: [It’s best to rely less on your magic. The tasks will only get harder as they progress, and the system will weaken your inherent advantages.]

Su Tang was completely stunned. [What?]

001: [If you could use magic in every plane, our system would just go find magicians to do the tasks. We’re only letting it slide now because you’re a newcomer, so things have been kept relatively simple.]