003 Relying on One's Own Strength
Qin Youran was this season's dark horse!
The producers had intended to promote Li Manman from the same company, but Qin Youran, with her impeccable performance, consistently led the popularity polls by a wide margin.
The village chief always took good care of talented contestants.
Normally, he would've agreed to Qin Youran's action to curry favor, but today he stubbornly shook his head, "No, according to the rules, the last place contestant cannot accept food from other guests, nor can they use their own money to make purchases, and they certainly cannot borrow by any means..."
The village chief ruthlessly blocked any loopholes, and a hint of excitement at the impending drama inadvertently appeared in his eyes.
Seeing this, Qin Youran spread her hands helplessly and said to Yan Yueqing with guilt, "I'm sorry, Yueqing, I've done my best, but I can't help you..."
Yan Yueqing hummed in response and looked toward Tang Tang.
The little girl was pouting with her lips, her eyes watery, seemingly upset about not having dinner.
Such good manners!
To be so aggrieved and yet not lose her temper with herself!
It shows how much the little one had been tormented by her predecessor.
As compensation, Yan Yueqing gently patted her on the shoulder, "Don't worry, we'll have a feast tonight."
"Ah?" Tang Tang was totally surprised.
The other guests were also baffled by Yan Yueqing's sudden burst of confidence.
Seeing this, the village chief hurriedly came over to remind her, "Yueqing, according to the rules—"
Yan Yueqing calmly interrupted, "I know, we can't rely on others' help, we must go down the mountain on our own to have dinner."
Seeing her composed demeanor, the village chief's brain went into overdrive, hastily trying to recall if there were any additional conditions he hadn't mentioned?
Yan Yueqing didn't give him any time to think and said to Tang Tang, "Let's go."
The mountain-climbing mission was set on Yan Mountain in T City. Although it wasn't a weekend or a famous mountain, the place still attracted quite a lot of visitors.
Yan Yueqing picked out a middle-aged lady who was taking photos with a scarf, "Tang Tang, what do you think about that auntie there?"
"Huh?" Tang Tang blinked in confusion. "She seems nice."
"Nice is good." Yan Yueqing smiled, asked the staff to take good care of Tang Tang, and approached the lady herself.
"Hello, sister," she started very politely.
The lady put down her scarf, her face blooming with a smile, "What sister? Little girl, you should call me auntie!"
"Auntie? I couldn't tell at all," Yan Yueqing acted extremely surprised.
The lady was even more delighted, "What do you need from me, young lady?"
Yan Yueqing pointed to Tang Tang and then to the smartphones filming behind them, "Sister, we're filming a show. Today, we ended up last in the mission, and the little one won't have dinner, so I wanted to exchange talents for some money."
The crew was stunned!
Was this even an option?!
[Hahahaha, I'm dying of laughter!]
[The village chief must be dumbfounded, right? He said no help from the guests, but she went straight to the tourists.]
[Hahaha, no wonder Yan Yueqing hurried off so quickly, she must have been scared the village chief would catch on!]
[Let's be honest, in the previous tasks, even the last place would get some food! Yet today they suddenly changed the rules, am I detecting some targeting here?]
After listening to Yan Yueqing, the lady glanced at the camera and caught on.
So, she wanted money...
Could this be some new scam?
Don't think she's unaware. Just a while ago, the daughter-in-law from Old Liu's family was approached when she went out and foolishly got swindled out of two hundred thousand yuan! The old couple is still talking about divorce because of it!
The auntie cautiously probed, "How much... do you want?"
Yan Yueqing answered decisively, "Five yuan."
The auntie immediately breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was going to be five thousand or fifty thousand yuan! Only five yuan! She suddenly laughed out loud, "Well, that sounds great!"
The live stream burst into laughter.
[Did you guys see the auntie's look just now? That "don't even think about scamming me! I've already clutched my purse ready to run" vibe.]
[Auntie: Trying to scam me? Bring out my Italian... noodles for a taste.]
[Five yuan is really a fair price, I'm willing to spend this five yuan to see what Yan Yueqing will perform!]
[Exactly! Once she finishes performing, I'll throw the five yuan in her face, so she keeps her distance from my little princess Tang Tang!]
[Hahaha, I can already picture the scene above.]
While everyone was frantically posting comments, Yan Yueqing had already negotiated with the auntie to perform a song.
She chose a track from the '80s, "Don't Let the Dawn Come," which is a Cantonese song and an interlude from the old movie "The Enchanting Woman."
After Yan Yueqing debuted, her agency arranged for her to participate in various unproductive variety shows. She hadn't set foot in a drama crew, and even in reality shows, she was always portrayed in unfavorable roles.
Singing, acting, or the tags commonly associated with other artists never seemed to apply to her!
Now that she said she'd sing, the whole live stream was waiting to make fun of her.
Yan Yueqing gazed distantly at the setting sun and slowly began to sing.
"Please don't come at dawn, let the dreams and illusions last forever tonight..."
As soon as she began singing, the comments paused for a full five seconds!
A chill voice floated through the air, casting a layer of ethereal charm.
Following it, a tragic and tearful romance slowly unfolded, revealing the complicated emotions of Nie Xiaoqian's lingering affection and sorrowful heartbreak for Ning Caichen in multi-faceted depth!
[Isn't this too beautiful to listen to?! Is this Yan Yueqing?]
[Damn, I'm actually starting to see her in a new light!!!!]
[Is there a sound card activated in the live stream? I don't believe it! If she sings this beautifully, why doesn't she go on 'The Voice'?]
[Dude, I study music and I can't resist! This is too awesome!]
"Holding you in the darkness, let not the dawn light seep in..."
A song concluded, and Yan Yueqing retracted her singing voice. Her expression remained indifferent, as if the person who was just singing was not her at all.
"Sister, what do you think? Was it worth five yuan?"
The auntie was lost in a trance, as though she had seen herself in the beautiful time of her first love and youth!
Coming back to her senses, it felt as if half a lifetime had already passed...
She raised her hand, pretending to have a cold, sniffing her nose, "Beautiful, beautiful! You must be a singer, right? My daughter also studies music, but she doesn't sing as well as you!"
Yan Yueqing politely replied, "I'm not a singer yet."
The auntie got very excited, "Then you're what my daughter calls a 'talented contestant'! Incredible! This is worth way more than five yuan! I'll give you five hundred yuan, buy some nice food for the kids! And sign an autograph for me! With a voice like that, you're bound to become famous!!"
Five hundred yuan?
And such good fortune?!
Just as Yan Yueqing was about to speak, the village chief suddenly appeared from nowhere, "Yueqing, you've already agreed to five yuan!"
Seeing the village chief intervening, Tang Tang rushed over, "Uncle Village Chief, it's the auntie who wants to give us five hundred yuan, not us asking for it."
The auntie nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, it's me who wants to give it!"
The village chief waved his hand, a look of fairness on his face, "Auntie, we are recording a show here, and Yueqing is leading the children! Think about it, she agreed to five yuan with you, but in the end, she takes five hundred yuan from you. Would this behavior be a negative influence on the children?"