DBAFSC Ch 2

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

Despite it being a weekday, the popular influencer cafe already had a steady stream of customers coming in and out.

Bao Ruan Ruan left her accommodation provided by Huangtai Entertainment and chose this crowded café for lunch.

With a large crowd, safety was relatively guaranteed.

In the game, it was generally easier to encounter trouble in less populated areas.

But even before she entered the café, she saw someone blocking the entrance.

Though they only occupied half of the entrance, it could still affect her ability to evacuate in a crisis.

“Um, did you see the words on my chest?” Chen Feng noticed it was a girl, glanced at the people at the tables, and pointed to the sign on his chest, his voice becoming more serious.

Bao Ruan Ruan took a quick look and then took out her phone.

Was she preparing to give him some money?

Chen Feng perked up, “I lost my phone, so I can’t receive payments via QR code.”

Bao Ruan Ruan looked at him the way ‘an old person on the subway would look at a phone’jpg.

“I’m helping you navigate to the nearest uncle police officer.”

Chen Feng: “…”

A muffled laugh came from a nearby coffee table.

Xue Jing stood up, his long legs unfolding as he put his hands in his pockets, leaning against the door frame.

His lips parted slightly, his gaze lowering to the girl’s tightly wrapped scarf.

“Do you want to become a star?”

His slightly lowered voice wasn’t deliberately subdued, but it had a natural charm that made people trust him and approach him without thinking.

If it were any other girl, she might have become infatuated.

“From now on, you’ll be famous as a household name and live a different life. As long as you want it, I’ll dare to help you realise it.”

But Bao Ruan Ruan remained level-headed. “I don’t want to.”

Chen Feng: “Pfft.”

Xue Jing narrowed his peach blossom eyes.

“Now that the contract has been terminated, you’re no longer an artist under our company! If you bother Mr. Lu again, be prepared to receive a lawyer’s letter!”

After buying a salad, Bao Ruan Ruan had just left the cafe when she received a voice message from her former agent, Ji Fei, on WeChat.

She chose to sit at an open-air seat, asked the waitress for an alcohol based hand sanitizer to reduce bacteria on her hands by 70%, and then carefully opened the salad box.

“Let me tell you one more thing. They were originally considering having you on for the next season of ‘Our Daughter’. This show has a lot of hype and could have helped you rise from the 108th spot. But you’ve already dug your own grave, so it’s a good opportunity for us to make way for a newcomer… Heh.”

Ji Fei’s voice was still pretty loud.

Bao Ruan Ruan turned down the volume in disgust.

At the neighbouring table, Xue Jing took off his jacket. His long fingers brushed the side of his almond-shaped eyes as he watched the girl whose body was completely covered up to the point where no gap was exposed.

The thick red-brown wool scarf, wrapped around her layer upon layer, had loosened due to all the walking.

At this moment, her little face moved, and the knot of the scarf came off completely, revealing her skin that was as white as cream, peach blossom pink lips, and a delicate and slender side profile without any trace of fat.

Xue Jing raised an eyebrow.

When Chen Feng heard the WeChat voice message, his eyes lit up just as he was about to flip the ‘seeking help’ sign and sit down. He lowered his voice, “Brother Xue, she’s from the entertainment industry, just terminated her contract.”

Xue Jing picked up his phone, “Beijing has bid for the Olympics.”

“Hmm?”

Chen Feng was momentarily taken aback and glanced at his phone, which was tilted slightly towards him. He was met with a delicate girl’s face on the screen, accompanied by a trending hashtag: #Inferior Actress with No Bottom Line Contract Terminated.

He wasn’t stupid, and after a quick look, he realised the girl in the trending picture looked surprisingly similar. It was the same as the one he had just read about – Bao Ruan Ruan, the terminated artist. Moreover, her profile in the trending image was quite similar to… the girl at the neighbouring table?

Chen Feng exclaimed in surprise, his voice suddenly a few pitches higher, “Is she that!?”

Being the top of the hot search for all the wrong reasons, with embarrassing acting skills, falsely accusing Mr. Lu of being her backer,and insulting the current movie queen, Tang Yu Xin, had made her a notoriously hated artist.

“It can’t be, right? Such a coincidence?”

The netizens were so angry that they didn’t even mention her name on Weibo in order to avoid giving her more attention. They just wanted her to disappear as soon as possible.

Chen Feng regretted ever uttering the careless words that compared Brother Xue to Huangtai, thinking that Brother Xue would never let her reach this point.

This was just great, now God really had sent someone like that to him!

This was just too messy.

To capitalise on the situation and get her into Brother Xue’s hands quickly, flying to stardom was the only option.

But now, she had become so infamous she was like a live bomb, where anyone holding her would suffer severe consequences.

Chen Feng gasped, “Brother Xue, thankfully she didn’t agree. She’s already buried herself so deep, so it’s impossible for her to stage a comeback now.”

“Impossible?”

Xue Jing smiled, the corners of his narrow eyes lifting, as if contemplating, yet his drooping eyelids made him appear extremely languid.

He slowly swirled the coffee cup’s edge with a flower pattern.

“But I just like challenging the impossible.”

Bao Ruan Ruan finished her salad and wiped the corners of her mouth.

She was getting ready to leave when, unexpectedly, her Weibo private messages started pinging repeatedly.

​【Wishing that 108th tier actress without conscience gets run over by a car when she steps out of the café!】

​【Ruining the beautiful love story between our sweet sister and Mr. Lu! I’ve sent you a box of razor blades!】

​【I’ve traced your IP address and now know where you live! Wait for it, Bao 108th tier! You dared to bully our sweet sister, so I’ll make you pay a hundredfold!】

​【I’m a level three black belt, what about you, trash?】

“Pfft… Cough, cough!”

Bao Ruan Ruan sprayed a mouthful of water.

Were the netizens always this hot-tempered?

She had just managed to escape from the world of the game and wanted to live a peaceful life. However, this world… seemed just as dangerous.

Why was Bao Ruan Ruan so unlucky?

In a moment of realisation, she hastily covered her face with her mask and scarf.

She wished she had known she’d become a public enemy before going out to eat.

It was fortunate that her original self wasn’t very well-known, and there weren’t many photos of her circulating on the internet. Otherwise, sitting outdoors to eat would probably have led to a real attack.

As Bao Ruan Ruan was pondering this, a beam of reflected light fell on her profile.

She squinted her eyes, then heard the leisurely voice of the man next to her once again.

“I can help you.”

Bao Ruan Ruan was stunned for a moment.

The man’s voice sounded somewhat similar to the man who helped her pass a game level, with a hint of laziness in every word.

The first time she heard him speak, she felt a little dazed.

But when he spoke again the second time, she was sure he wasn’t the same person who had saved her.

If the other person’s voice was like a cello, rich and full, then this man’s voice was more like a violin, even more gorgeous.

“Please.”

Xue Jing smiled faintly and gestured for Chen Feng to fetch two glasses of water, pushing one toward her.

Bao Ruan Ruan had no intention of drinking it.

Xue Jing’s peach blossom eyes softened at the corner, not angry, but in unexpected admiration for her.

Clearly, she wasn’t as foolish as the online rumours made her out to be.

“As a female artist, it’s right to be cautious of food from strangers.”

Bao Ruan Ruan nodded, accepting the compliment but not entirely agreeing, “I already declined your earlier offer.”

Xue Jing chuckled lightly, “Yes, but just now, I was only speaking to an ordinary person. Since you’re not an ordinary person, I’d like to reintroduce myself.”

She had already made up her mind. She just wanted to live her life peacefully.

“I don’t do high-risk occupations.”

The entertainment industry wasn’t a good place; being sent razor blades every day was too much for her to handle!

Xue Jing smiled again and didn’t rush to speak. He just picked up the transparent glass of water on the table and poured her remaining salad dressing into the cup, making the clear water murky in an instant.

“If you do nothing, you’ll be gradually destroyed.”

Bao Ruan Ruan frowned.

“Only by staying and turning the black into white.”

Xue Jing tapped the clear glass of water in front of her and spoke in a seductive and lazy tone.

“That’s the only way you can survive.”

Bao Ruan Ruan didn’t want to hear it, but when the word “survive” came out, her mental alarm bells went off instantly.

Just as she was speaking, her phone received several more private messages on Weibo.

​【Bao Ruan Ruan, you’re dead, your whole family is dead!】

​【A person’s blood-written curse: May Bao Ruan Ruan be struck down when she steps out!】

Bao Ruan Ruan shuddered and looked up. “Can you really help me survive?”

Xue Jing’s lips curled. “Within a year, I’ll help you climb all the way up, from death to life.”

Life!

The glimmer in Bao Ruan Ruan’s eyes suddenly flickered.

This sentence hit home for her!

The two of them locked eyes, sharing a sense of camaraderie as everything flowed harmoniously.

Chen Feng, who was sitting next to them, looked utterly perplexed.

He had a feeling they weren’t discussing the same thing.

Xue Jing was a negotiation expert, and when he saw her expression loosen, he knew success was imminent. He immediately added some temptation, “If you have any requests, feel free to ask me directly.”

Bao Ruan Ruan thought seriously for a moment and nodded.

Xue Jing leaned forward encouragingly. As someone emotionally scarred, she would cling onto the compensation clause. This, he could satisfy.

But in the next moment, Bao Ruan Ruan flexed her slender fingers and spoke with sincerity and gravity.

“How many security guards will you assign to me? What brand is the car that will drive me to location shoots? Does it have airbags? Can the company arrange the highest-level annual medical check-ups for me? …”

Chen Feng: “?”

Xue Jing’s glass of water shook in his hand. “???”

“By the way, I might be a bit stubborn on some things. Can you accept that?” Bao Ruan Ruan blushed slightly.

Xue Jing raised an eyebrow. “You are not allowed to date for a year.”

“It’s not about dating,” Bao Ruan Ruan shook her head, raising a delicate white finger. “But if there’s any event that threatens my safety, I will choose the latter between following your orders and my life.”

Xue Jing and Chen Feng: “…”

After a while, Xue Jing pressed the throbbing temple of his headache.

Which marketing agency wrote this script about her being lovesick and doing anything to steal a man? Did they write it with their feet?

With her fear of death, her courage as tiny as a needle, how could she dare to have the audacity to throw a tantrum and disrupt an engagement ceremony?

“Fine.” He suppressed his growing irritation.

How could there be that many life-threatening situations in the entertainment industry?

“I’m okay with the requests you mentioned.” Xue Jing beckoned Chen Feng over to prepare the contract for signing, then looked at her snowy face that was only partially exposed and raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Perfect, I have two variety show shootings coming up. One with high popularity, which can help you make a comeback, and one with no viewership, but it can lay the foundation—”

Being an adult is like choosing an answer from multiple-choice questions!

Right away, Bao Ruan Ruan pulled out her phone. “Are the shooting dates the same for both shows? I need to consult my divination guide to see which day is unfavourable for travel.”

Xue Jing touched his temple. “…”

All of a sudden, it seemed like he didn’t have as much confidence in making her famous.

On the first day after signing the contract, Bao Ruan Ruan moved into a new apartment arranged by Chen Feng – a two-bedroom, one-living-room unit in a secluded and quiet area. The rent was all covered by the company.

The next day, while it was still early and dark, a black GMC that was said to have the highest safety rating, parked punctually at the entrance of the community.

Bao Ruan Ruan wrapped herself up in layers with a scarf, hat, and sunglasses, making sure that even her biological father wouldn’t be able to recognise her, and then carefully stepped out.

Before getting into the car, she cautiously glanced around.

The veteran street racer sitting in the driver’s seat who also had a level three black belt, Chen Feng, couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “It’s not that serious. We’re in a society governed by the restrictions of law now, people just vent their frustrations online.”

Xue Jing sat in the back with his long legs stretched out in front.

He handed her some documents.

“Happy Saturday’ is a funny variety show with its primary focus on games. In this episode, there is a guest you’ll need to pay more attention to; Lu Wen Hao, the younger brother of Lu Wen Yao.”

Bao Ruan Ruan wrinkled her nose. For enemies, the road is rather narrow.

 idiom meaning that rivals will inevitably cross paths

It was this guy who had called the police when she disrupted Lu Wen Yao’s engagement ceremony. She distinctly remembered that his look at the time was very unfriendly.

Going on this show with him… seemed quite high-risk!

Bao Ruan Ruan quietly checked the divination fortune on her phone and looked at the eye-catching red words: “Everything is auspicious.” It was only then that she reluctantly decided not to run away.

But when she went on the show, she had to stand as far away from Lu Wen Hao as possible.

“Take a look at the program introduction.” Xue Jing indicated with his index finger without even twitching a brow.

Bao Ruan Ruan nodded.

It was necessary to understand the strategic direction she should take.

She flipped through the documents, which contained detailed information about the director, the regular guests’ preferences, the typical flow of the show, and the main comedic elements.

The information was very comprehensive.

However, she wasn’t skilled in being funny.

“That’s not a problem.” Xue Jing leaned back in his chair, glancing at her with a raised eyebrow.

She was more obedient than he had imagined.

“Just follow the director’s instructions.”

Bao Ruan Ruan blinked. “Okay.”

She could do that.

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

*

Ten minutes later, Bao Ruan Ruan arrived at the filming location of the variety show and finally understood why Xue Jing had made no special requests of her.

“The actor for the mascot has arrived!”

Bao Ruan Ruan turned her head and saw a massive fluorescent pink cat mascot costume.

This cat mascot had a large head and a chubby body, making it a round and cute character.

In simple terms, by wearing this in a variety show, you didn’t have to show your face at all.

This was perfect!

Bao Ruan Ruan breathed a sigh of relief.

Before, she was worried that no matter how much distance she kept between them, Lu Wen Hao would still hold a grudge against her.

Now, being a mascot, the level of safety was exceptionally high!

Bao Ruan Ruan was overjoyed.

Xue Jing, this boss, was really something.

She praised him in her heart a hundred times over.

In the car, Chen Feng looked at the back seat through the rearview mirror and asked, “Are we going for the hardworking route, like making her work tirelessly? Despite being criticised, she doesn’t give up and tries to start from being a small character and climb back onto the stage?”

Mascot actors were a job that only people who were strapped for cash were willing to do. It wasn’t something a female celebrity in the entertainment industry would ever even consider.

Xue Jing picked up a file from the car. “You go to the scene and keep an eye on her.”

“No problem!”

However, an hour later, when Chen Feng was watching the recording on the scene, his eyes nearly popped out.

Xue Jing, help!

The character of an insignificant nobody has been shattered and can’t be pieced back together!

---

enjoy ch 2 !