CHAPTER 46: CHAPTER 46: THE SECOND EPISODE IS HERE!

The man in her dream was watching her from the car, passed by behind her, and heard her tell lies with her eyes open. Mu Qiu was unaware of all this.

She just habitually comforted her grandma, making her believe that she ate three big bowls of rice every day and wasn’t dieting.

After hanging up, Mu Qiu carried the shopping bags back home, categorized the items, turned on her computer, clicked on "Candle South," and lazily watched it from the sofa.

It was almost lunchtime, but that didn’t matter. She enjoyed this kind of freedom, having time alone under only her command. Watch TV whenever she wants, eat when hungry, sleep when tired, and no one bothers her fixed writing time. Before lights out, everything goes as she pleases, and after lights out, it’s a time for carefree beautiful dreams.

She will always love this kind of life.

Cross-legged, watching Cheng Zhirang on the screen intently, her phone on the sofa vibrated twice.

Mu Qiu kept her eyes on the computer, casually touched the phone, unlocked it, and took a glance.

The message came from the program group chat.

[Different’s Director Guan: There are three choices for the next episode type, please vote on the official Weibo.]

[Different’s Li Yang: Three choices? What does that mean?]

[Different’s Guan Yu: Isn’t the director too bold for this? What if I vote for the simplest one?]

[Different’s Director Guan: The deciding factor is the vast number of fans.]

The implication — your choice doesn’t really matter.

[Different’s Guan Yu: ......]

[Different’s Shi Yuhuai: Seriously just vote at random? Base it on the vote results?]

[Different’s Director Guan: Don’t worry about the program team, all three options are set up ahead of time.]

[Different’s Shu Ran: I’ve voted! Director, can you reveal what each choice is?]

A group of popular celebrities chatting in a group made Mu Qiu feel an absurd sense of "the third party can’t intervene."

She simply replied, paused the movie, and went to find the Weibo posted by the program’s official account.

[Different Variety Show’s official: Happy Wednesday, is anyone asking why it’s not Saturday yet? Now, you decide this Saturday’s format, vote on the format you want to watch for the next episode, and the program team will "customize" a package for you! The option with the most votes will be the final adopted content for this episode, the voting deadline is today at 14:00, and the final interpretation right belongs to the program group.]

Looking at the three options below, Mu Qiu carefully checked them out, they were simply A, B, and C, not even a single-sentence explanation.

... How do you vote? Blind vote with your eyes closed?

Mu Qiu bent her legs, cradled the phone in her hands on her knees, her eyes surveying back and forth between A, B, and C, unable to choose.

She simply clicked on comments for a glance.

[Vote for A! Let us believe this choice is Brother Cheng dominating the entire stage solo!]

[BBBBBB! I want to see Li Yang dance and rock the stage!]

[I voted A for the extended pool splashing/macho man bashful laugh]

[I think everyone’s imagination has deluded them, this isn’t voting for desired content, it’s for what the program has prepared!]

[C please, I hope it’s the kind that makes me laugh my head off thanks]

[Looks like I’ll rely on my middle school exam genius — here it comes, coin!]

[Heads A, tails B, and standing on edge is C right?]

[Math teacher said for uncertain ones, always choose C]

[Our biology teacher said for uncertain ones, always choose A]

......

Seemingly without any information, Mu Qiu hesitated, closed her eyes, randomly tapped one, and opened her eyes to see she picked C.

Currently, the option with the most votes was A, possibly because some thought voting for A would let them see an extended pool program.

But what contents do these three options represent? The director in the group is tight-lipped, no one can guess, leaving her a bit curious.

She wasn’t the only one curious.

Guan Yu even added her on WeChat to inquire sneakily.

[Guan Yu: Do you know what these three options could be like?]

Mu Qiu answered honestly: [No idea]

[Guan Yu: Not even you got any hints from the director? No information leaked at all?]

[Indeed, none.]

[Guan Yu: Then the director’s grudge against you is too severe. I have a piece of info, you want to hear it?]

[Sure. What info?]

[Guan Yu: The directors aren’t good people]

[......]

Just by the given identity and armband she has to wear until the second episode, it’s clear enough, no need for words.

Wearing a red armband, if facing intense competitive games, she’d nearly be a live target.

Suddenly, Mu Qiu started to worry about her own safety in the next episode.

The director announced again in the group, asking everyone to post their chosen option in the group.

Guan Yu messaged again, saying the director meant to use this chat interface in the post-production version, perhaps for a face-slapping segment.

This was teaching her a lesson, Mu Qiu pressed her lips, thanked Guan Yu, and then posted her chosen option in the program group.

[Different’s Mu Qiu: I blind-picked C]

[Different’s Li Yang: My manager and I used rock-paper-scissors and chose B]

[Different’s Shi Yuhuai: I picked B]

[Different’s Shu Ran: I voted for A, fans said pick A, so I did]

[Different’s Cheng Zhirang: I voted for C]

[Different’s Guan Yu: I also picked A! I think A should be the easier option!]

[Different’s Shu Ran: Director, what is A? Can you reveal it?]

[Different’s Director Guan: Stay tuned for the results / Brother Cheng’s permanent smile.jpg]

[Different’s Guan Yu: ?? Director, where did you steal that pic from?]

Mu Qiu didn’t continue reading the replies; she rubbed her fingers along the edge of her phone case and decisively slid up to steal the director’s picture.

Cheng Zhirang’s permanent smile became more intriguing the more she looked at it.

At two in the afternoon, the program team officially released the voting results, with option A leading options B and C by over three thousand votes, becoming the final format for the next episode.

Mu Qiu felt this result was mostly due to some fan mentioning extended pool play, but she also figured the program team wouldn’t follow that routine and those fans were bound to be disappointed.

Time flows like water, passing through work files and study questions, prompting urgently until it arrived at the festive weekend.

Early Saturday, Mu Qiu was brought to the makeup room.

This was her first time changing outfits and putting on makeup for a show, somewhat novel.

The stylist dressed her in a black tank top, black cargo pants, and combat boots, her hair pulled into a high ponytail, and all the fine hairs around her hairline neat. The makeup artist outlined her eyes, defined her face, and the reflection in the makeup mirror showed a mixed European and American style.

"Is my role today an aloof unfeeling female agent?"

The staff didn’t answer her; after the makeup was done, they covered her with a black hood and led her out.

A familiar scenario, was she being sent into a rundown factory again?

"We’re here, you can take it off now," a staff whispered beside her.

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Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha everyone come guess what the second episode is like?? (Looking at my many "haha," you should know right?)