Chapter 35: Advertising Isn’t Shameful!

Lin Jia looked at Lin Yu with a face full of satisfaction. This kid really had a good sense of timing—she’d only made a gesture, and he immediately understood what he needed to do.

Lin Yu accepted the coffee brought over by the staff and then handed cups, all marked with the sponsor’s logo, to each person present.

Everyone was handed a cup of coffee. Lin Yu refused the cup offered to him by the staff, instead snatching the one that Wang Fei was about to raise to his lips.

“Oh my god, this coffee is amazing! I feel instantly refreshed! From now on, whenever I’m tired at work, my top choice is Pier Coffee!”

Since there was no way to avoid it and everyone had been given a cup, even though Wang Fei didn’t actually get to drink his coffee in the end, he still cooperated with Lin Yu to put on a little advertisement.

“Pier Coffee—affordable and delicious! One cup is better than ten!”

Though Wang Fei didn’t care much about the ad fee for reading out the sponsor, since his buddy Lin Yu was already joining in, he couldn’t refuse to play along. With the two of them so close, he didn’t want people accusing him of being too chummy.

Yet, despite their efforts, the live-stream chat began to let their imaginations run wild.

“I can’t stop laughing—look at how anxious Wang Fei is to clarify himself. Is there really something going on between them?”

“If there’s nothing to hide, why so nervous? I’m already picturing two men in... compromising situations.”

“Hey, you’re a girl!”

“You don’t get it! Girls love shipping this kind of thing!”

“Seriously though, does the production allow bromance?”

“Huh? Dog Yu takes such good care of his boss. They’re the real deal, family!”

“It’s called gentlemanly conduct, you guys don’t understand!”

“Do you really know what it means to be a wage slave? Offending the boss has no good outcome! Dog Yu is just smartly protecting himself!”

“Money can make the devil work. So, sister, if you have a bit of cash, can Dog Yu help you out?”

…

After the guests finished their coffee, Ji Ya took a fresh look at Lin Yu. Not bad—this kid finally understood how to stand out.

Lin Yu glanced back at her, and though it was merely an exchange of looks, the audience perceived pink bubbles floating between them.

“These two are both my treasures. Whenever one goes to do something as dangerous as hunting, I get worried.”

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow at Ji Ya’s words. “Isn’t it simple? We can just give up fishing and choose hunting instead.”

Ji Ya: … Sometimes, hearing such words is less than helpful.

To be honest, is it possible she’s also a girl afraid of blood and violence? Letting others enjoy the easy tasks while she shoulders the tough ones—she’s a young lady, not so noble as to do this!

“I suggest we let the two teams flip a coin: heads for hunting, tails for farming.”

Qiu Shishang and Wang Fei stepped forward to play rock-paper-scissors to decide the order. Qiu Shishang, who won, chose farming. Wang Fei’s team, having lost, was forced to hunt.

In this contest, the one with the worst expression was Si Shaozhe.

He sat on the sofa with a dark face, watching the disputes unfold, a gloomy air about him, entirely disconnected from everyone else’s joy.

He wasn’t just a top star, but also the young master of a certain company. He’d climbed to his current position with the mindset that if he failed, he could always go back and inherit the family business.

Given his privileged background, if he really ended up clearing land and digging dirt, how could he keep his dignity if word got out?

His father would probably chase him down with a machete.

Lin Jia glanced at Si Shaozhe, noting the shifting expressions on his face, but said nothing. This was the hardship your father asked me to arrange for you. I thought it would be hard to find the opportunity, but you walked right into the pit yourself—so don’t blame me.

The guests quieted down, instinctively forming teams, waiting for the next segment.

Lin Jia cleared her throat and issued each group’s sideline task.

“Fishing can be done in three ways: diving, net casting, or sea fishing.”

“Next, the choice goes to the other teams.”

The staff brought over the lottery box again. Lin Yu was slightly speechless—Lin Jia, you really are the master of stirring things up!

Giving every team a shot at revenge, huh? Are you the reincarnation of Nemesis?

Once again, ladies went first. Each team sent a female representative, and both drew sea fishing.

It was June, the heat nearly roasting everyone alive. The artists, conscious of their appearance, quickly retreated to their rooms for protection.

Lin Yu didn’t mind—after all, there’s an old saying, “the darker the skin, the healthier.” Yet this notion was swiftly interrupted by Ji Ya, who dragged him upstairs for sunscreen.

Under the eaves, one must bow their head.

While applying sunscreen, Ji Ya spoke earnestly: “You’re about to debut. You must care about your appearance. What do artists rely on? Looks, style, and skill.”

“You need all three, so don’t get lazy and let yourself get sunburned. When you debut, the post-production team will cry editing your skin.”

Lin Yu: …

The sunscreen was sticky, but quickly absorbed by his skin. Having never used skincare products in his previous life, Lin Yu still felt uncomfortable all over. His plan to sneak off to the restroom and wash it off was killed in the cradle by Ji Ya’s warning glance.

Ji Ya prepared some additional skincare items, then led Lin Yu downstairs.

Finding the other guests already at their respective work sites, Ji Ya and Lin Yu headed toward the shore.

After crossing the low hills, they reached the seaside. Ji Ya, who exercised regularly, only complained about the heat once and said nothing more.

Lin Yu stood at the shore, spreading his arms to enjoy the comfort of the sea breeze.

Soon, the staff caught up, looking at them in anguish.

‘You two, honestly, there’s no rush. We’re still lugging the camera equipment—could you maybe slow down a bit?’

The camera crew’s stamina was nothing compared to these two artists.

In his previous life, Lin Yu had spent every day delivering food and packages, developing a sturdy physique. Climbing hills was easier than drinking water for him. Watching the camera crew struggle, he remembered Ji Ya’s countless reminders.

Pay attention to your image, and stand out more.

Though he was pretending to be enthusiastic and caring toward the camera crew, seeing their moved expressions, he felt reassured.

For the rest of the shoot, he’d surely get plenty of screen time.

“Where’s the fishing gear?” Ji Ya looked around. What, the crew didn’t arrange it?

“The fishing gear needs to be rented—using a Love Card for rental~”

The staff reverted to their capitalist attitude.

What? You even need to rent fishing gear? Isn’t it everywhere?

Lin Yu glanced at Ji Ya, flashing a relaxed, reassuring smile.