Chapter 75
On the day Star on the Run premiered, fans of all 30 celebrities flooded into the livestream room, creating an unprecedented spectacle.
[First!]
[Finally! The show I’ve been waiting for is airing, ahhh, multi-stan heaven!]
[As expected of Tomato TV, only they can invite so many stars at once. Am I the only one wondering how much the appearance fees cost?]
[Everyone else is here to cheer for their idols? Not me. Hunters, charge! Leave them with no survivors!]
The eight guests from Love Observation were invited to participate as well, blending into the group of 30 in sportswear.
As Xie Mi stretched and warmed up, she recalled the original story.
The previous South Sea and temple specials hadn’t appeared in the novel, but Star on the Run was one of the actual events in the original text.
At this stage of the plot, Xiao Jingxi had already fallen in love with Xu Shuangrong.
To protect her, he escorted her the entire way, even sacrificing other guests along the journey. In the end, he gave up his own survival, ensuring that Xu Shuangrong lived to the end.
Put bluntly, he was a jinx.
Anyone on his team was doomed. Best to keep away.
As she pondered this, someone came up to greet her, “Xie teacher, I su ni di hun xi!”
Xie Mi took two full seconds before realizing he meant: “Teacher Xie, I’m your fan.”
“Bro, where are you from?”
The boy grinned wide. “Wo su R country di, wo su foreigner.” (translate = I from R country, I’m a foreigner.)
Xie Mi glanced at his nametag.
Sangzan.
She remembered him—recently, she’d seen him on short videos. A rookie who had just debuted from a talent show, the Chinese-speaking member of the boy group QAQ, Sangzan.
“Nice to meet you, nice to meet you.”
Though his Chinese wasn’t great, this foreign friend was overflowing with enthusiasm. He eagerly switched between Chinese, English, and Japanese, passionately recounting how he was drawn in by Xie Mi’s “crazy energy” and became her loyal fan.
Xie Mi barely understood half of every ten words, but still chatted warmly with him.
Xie Mi: “Are you getting used to life in Z-country? Getting along with your teammates? Want me to get you some good fruit?”
Sangzan: “Tai hao le! Hui chang xiexie ni!” (Translate: I appreciate it, thank you.)
Xie Mi: “Sangzan, you’re my first foreign friend, so I’ll teach you some Z-country wisdom. Remember this: ‘An inch of time is an inch of gold, three inches of time is a whole Xin, hiding half a pipa hides half your face, holding two pipas hides your whole face.’”
Sangzan: “A little complicated.”
Xie Mi: “Actually, I also know one Japanese phrase: ‘Charge once with full spirit, the second time you weaken, the third time you collapse, the fourth time—su mi ma sai.’”
Sangzan: “Sorry, I don’t quite understand.”
[Hahahaha Old Xie, are you messing with the foreigner?]
[‘Su mi ma sai’ what the hell, I’m dying of laughter]
[Well, at least the guy found some fun]
Among the 30 celebrities were actors, singers, models, and hosts—some were seasoned veterans, others rookies.
After a few shy newcomers greeted Xie Mi, a discordant voice rang out.
“Attention-seeker.”
The speaker was Li Yingwu, a 48-year-old veteran host known for his sharp interviews.
He had repeatedly criticized young “traffic” stars, claiming they were talentless, immoral, and just pretty faces—dismissing all of them in one sweep.
The rookies on set timidly greeted him, only to receive his cold, cutting responses in return.
“I look down the most on people who act crazy and silly on variety shows just to grab attention. Actor? Not even fit for the ranks!”
His words were clearly aimed at someone, and all eyes turned toward Xie Mi—some awkward, some gloating, some just watching the drama.
[? Come on, Li is a senior, but that’s way too harsh]
[Sister Xie, you’ve really made it. First day on the show and already drawing hate]
[But honestly, Brother Wu isn’t wrong. Isn’t Xie Mi famous for acting crazy? Before she was on the dating show, I didn’t even know who she was]
[LMAO Brother Wu just speaking facts and people are mad. Fan circles need to chill, these traffic stars are famous for no reason]
[Please, Li Yingwu built his fanbase by attacking traffic stars. In terms of real skill, he’s nowhere near the top]
[He’s shading a young actress he’s never even met? What kind of bird is that?]
The comment feed was in chaos, and tension filled the set.
Then, a soft chuckle.
“Who said Z-country has a low birth rate?”
Standing head and shoulders above the crowd, Shen Yanqing smirked lazily. “Seems pretty high to me.”
His gaze drifted toward Li Yingwu, half-smile playing at his lips.
Everyone froze, not quite processing.
Until the innocent foreign friend piped up: “Chu sheng rate?”
One line revealed the truth!
“Pfft—”
Someone burst out laughing, then quickly covered their mouth in terror, afraid of being dragged into it.
Li Yingwu was the most senior figure present, while Shen Yanqing was a famous charity tycoon. Neither could be offended!
But Xie Mi had no problem offending.
She boldly walked right up to Li Yingwu and asked directly, “Excuse me, were you just talking about me?”
[Holy shit, this girl’s brave]
[Wait, you can actually say that??]
[I’ve seen lots of passive-aggressive shade in entertainment, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone this straightforward]
[Everyone’s spamming ‘Xie Mi’ in the chat—oh, that’s her name? No wonder it’s familiar, I’ve seen it trending lately]
Li Yingwu already looked sour, now his face darkened further.
“So what if I was?”
Xie Mi didn’t get angry. She smiled sweetly.
“I just think it’s not great to always throw around words like ‘in the ranks’ or ‘out of the ranks.’”
“After all, a second-rate like you is still talking to a first-rate like me, isn’t that right?”
Li Yingwu’s expression instantly changed.
The entire set collectively gasped. Even the director was stunned.
Beside him, Director Niu remained calm, almost proud.
“Yes, that’s how brave our show’s guests are.”
Director: “…”
This was too brave!
#Second-rate talking to first-rate#
#Xie Mi slams Li Yingwu#
#Who said Z-country has a low birth rate?#
On Star on the Run’s very first day, the hot searches exploded one after another. Li Yingwu, after three years, finally made it back onto trending.
Gossip-hungry netizens swarmed in.
[Wait, isn’t that Xie Mi from Love Observation? If I’d known she was on, I would’ve watched sooner]
[Good roast! I’ve been sick of Li Yingwu for ages. He even dragged my idol before, always bashing people just because of his seniority. What’s the difference from abusing authority?]
[He only ever dares to attack rookies and small traffic stars. Never once touched the top stars. If the little ones don’t fight back, he pushes further. Finally, someone put him in his place today.]
[Who’s satisfied? I’m satisfied.]
