Chapter 23 Find a Way to Make Money.

Chapter 23: Finding Ways to Make Money.

Shen Tong picked up a fish slice as delicate as a cicada's wing.

The translucent fish quivered as it swirled in the chicken broth. Within seconds, it turned white and curled, ready to be dipped in sauce and savored. The taste was incredibly tender, springy, and sweet.

As for the chicken, only the choicest thigh meat was selected. Unlike factory-farmed chickens that never leave their cages, this was a true free-range bird, roaming mountains and fields daily, feasting on the healthiest, greenest food. How could chicken raised this way be anything but delicious?

The chicken broth was golden, the bamboo shoots crisp-tender, and the shrimp fresh and springy. Even the most unassuming leafy greens, after a quick dip in the chicken broth, became unbelievably tasty.

These vegetables were so fresh, plucked from the soil and brought straight to their table. Simply boiled in water and dipped in sauce, they would have been delicious, let alone simmered in such a fragrant, rich chicken broth.

"So delicious! I never thought I'd enjoy vegetables this much!"

Shen Tong, a self-proclaimed carnivore, never imagined a day she'd relish vegetables so intensely.

Yu Xin's cooking truly worked wonders, transforming the mundane into the magical. She mused that if she could eat Yu Xin's cooking every day, even the pickiest eater would be cured.

Chopsticks flew, and in no time, more than half the food was gone. Feeling comfortably full, they each savored a bowl of chicken broth, rich with the essence of all the ingredients. The piping hot, fragrant broth brought a light sweat to their brows, and the cool, gentle evening breeze that followed was pure bliss.

"If every day's meals were like this, I really wouldn’t want to leave…"

"Me neither!"

"Where can I sign up? More importantly, where can I find a companion just like Yu Xin??"

"Hahaha, true. Without Yu Xin, you'd probably be eating dirt in the wild. How could you live so comfortably?"

But no matter how reluctant the guests were, the first episode had to end.

Tonight’s hot pot was a perfect finale to the first recording. Early the next morning, the aircraft arrived to pick them up.

The guests packed their belongings and gathered for a group photo with the entire production crew.

Director: "Cut! *Wilderness Adventure* Season 3, Episode 1, officially concludes. Thank you all for watching."

"It's over already?? I haven't had enough! I petition for ten more episodes this season!"

"Seconded! I adore this guest lineup. I've never seen such a harmonious group."

"Harmonious? You mean the arguments during the first couple of days? (winking)"

"Wah, goodbye, goodbye! Please come back soon! How will I live without you?"

"I'm going to rewatch the show. I really can't get enough, ahhh!"

"Yu Xin!! Please don't disappear after the show ends. Share some daily life with us occasionally!!"

The scene was a stark contrast to their arrival. No longer distant and scattered, they now sat intimately, chatting and laughing. The biggest transformation was Yu Xin, who went from being ignored in the back seat to being the lively center of attention.

As soon as Shen Tong retrieved her personal terminal, she eagerly logged onto the StarNet. After browsing for a while, she looked up in surprise: "Yu Xin, did you know? You've gone viral!"

"What? Let me see!" Ruan Qing hurried over.

"The topic for our show has an astonishingly high view count. Most of the discussions are about Yu Xin, and they're all positive!"

"Really!" Ruan Qing and Shen Tong leaned their heads together, scrolling through the StarNet. Unlike other variety shows, they had genuinely surrendered their terminals and lived completely cut off from the StarNet for five days, utterly unaware of external events.

"Really?" Yu Xin felt little about going viral, but if it helped clear the original host’s negative reputation, that was certainly a good thing.

As for himself, too much attention would only bring trouble, contradicting his initial desire for a low profile. He wasn't the original host and had to consider the risk of identity exposure. He certainly didn't want to be captured by some research institution and dissected.

However, from the current situation, although the audience found his drastic change puzzling, none suspected body-snatching, as such a notion sounded too far-fetched.

“It’s true! My agent also messaged me, saying that although my image in the show... uh... kind of took a hit, the outcome was surprisingly good. They also mentioned that our show is extremely popular now and told me to perform well next time!” Sheng Xingyao exclaimed.

Not only Yu Xin, but the other guests also gained varying degrees of popularity, with a significant boost in public favor.

“I’m not at all surprised that Yu Xin got popular,” Qin Shizhen said. “We totally owe you one this time. Without you, we wouldn’t have had such a great show.”

“Yeah, yeah! Without Yu Xin, we’d have no idea what hardships we’d have endured. How could we be eating so well now? I think I might’ve even gained a little weight,” Ruan Qing said, pulling a face.

Although she had been very active during the show, her appetite had also increased significantly, leaving her stuffed every day.

“Thinking back to our first day, what a difference a week makes!” Qin Shizhen sighed.

Back then, Yu Xin was universally reviled online. Who would've thought that in less than a week, he'd become an internet sensation?

Hearing this, Shen Tong and Sheng Xingyao, recalling their initial attitude toward Yu Xin, blushed slightly and sincerely apologized to him.

“It’s fine, I wasn’t bothered by it,” Yu Xin said. While most people would hold a grudge in such situations, his expression and tone made it clear that he genuinely didn’t mind.

……

The aircraft soon arrived at its destination. Except for Yu Xin, the others had different plans. Sheng Xingyao, in particular, was immediately met by his agent upon arrival, who said they needed to strike while the iron was hot and rush to his next engagement without delay.

Reluctantly, everyone said their goodbyes and headed off in different directions.

Yu Xin also returned to his residence on the Imperial Capital Star.

Online popularity, ultimately, was fleeting and couldn't be quickly monetized. At least for now, Yu Xin remained utterly broke.

The original owner was truly penniless. The rented apartment was in the cheapest area of the Imperial Capital Star, devoid of greenery. Old, towering buildings stood crammed together, housing mostly people who came to work and those with little money—it was, in essence, a slum.

The apartment consisted of a single small room with a cramped bathroom and kitchen. The rest of the space could only fit a few simple pieces of furniture.

Even so, the monthly rent wasn’t low, and Yu Xin was barely able to make rent for the next month.

The payment for *Wilderness Adventure* would only be transferred after the show concluded. In the meantime, Yu Xin faced a serious problem: how to pay for food and rent.

It seemed he had to figure out how to make some cash.

Author’s Note:

----------------------

Within three chapters, I promise Xiao Yu and General Ji will meet (cross my heart).

Starting from the next chapter, this story will be going behind the paywall. Updates will be daily after that. Thank you, you guys, for your support all along. Please continue to love me! (sending hugs!)

Upcoming: *Scumbag Trope Collection System [Transmigration]*

Has the host collected all the tropes today? No.

Ji Ci transmigrated into a world fused from several dog-blooded, angst-filled novels. The system tasked him with playing the role of a pitiful protagonist who must collect storyline CGs with different types of scumbag male leads to return to his original world.

In this world, he had to play the roles of a simp, a stand-in, a plaything, and a fool, hopelessly in love with various scumbags.

Ji Ci: How hard could it be?

In a luxurious villa, an aloof man carelessly tossed a bank card at him. “You were the one who suggested leaving. This card has five million. Don’t try to cling to me anymore.”

"What, having second thoughts? Thinking I'd try to stop you? Stop dreaming."

Ji Ci ducked his head, battling to suppress his smile where the scumbag couldn't see.

[“Break up and don't bother me again” plot CG collected successfully.]

“CG collection progress: 30/30. Congratulations, host. All illustrations for Scumbag No. 1 have been collected.”

Hooray! He had long had enough of being a simp!

Ji Ci immediately began pursuing his next target: a younger, cold-hearted "wolf-dog" type who dressed flamboyantly and put great effort into engineering chance encounters.

His efforts paid off—the little wolf-dog was finally hooked. But then, his previous conquest suddenly went crazy, catching him making out with the wolf-dog right outside a movie theater.

The scumbag, disheveled and red-eyed, frantically yanked him away from the wolf-dog's arms. "Ji Ci, how dare you actually find someone else!"

"Do you have any idea who you're kissing? That's my nephew!"

****

Ji Ci was getting frustrated lately.

His love interests had all started acting strangely, refusing to follow his planned storyline.

Unhappy, Ji Ci decided to say "screw it" and started playing by his own rules.

Want to enjoy the devotion of a simp while seeing other people? —Sorry, but this simp's done simping.

Have a white moonlit love in your heart while treating others as substitutes?

—Have you ever considered that you might be someone else’s substitute too?

Feel no love in your heart and treat lovers as mere playthings?

—Then you probably wouldn’t mind if your plaything got involved with others, right?

Approach others with ulterior motives, using them as stepping stones for fame and gain?

—Maybe you’d like to see how it feels to have everything taken from you?

Think you can mess around with someone’s feelings just over a bet with friends?

—Let’s see who outplays whom then 🙂

He went all out, and after a series of bold moves, his love interests lost their minds one after another.

"Ji Ci! Don’t you dare look for anyone else! Come back to me!!"

"My heart is clean now, there’s only you in it. Please forgive me, okay?"

"Ji Ci, I don’t want anything else, I just want you."

"You win, Little Mrs. Xiao. I admit I’ve fallen for you."

"Brother Ji, can we start over…"

A burning redemption arc, intense and blazing.

Multiple versions of the same love interest, 1v1, HE.