Jiang Baiqi closed his computer and picked up the telescope, observing Song Juyao across the way.
As it was an urgent translation document, there was a time limit. It was originally a relatively simple task for her. However, due to the hacker's intrusion and disturbance, time became a pressing concern.
Song Juyao's eyes were focused, her fingers swiftly dancing on the keyboard, and she hit the final key just before the last minute.
"Huh." Song Juyao puffed up her cheeks and released a long breath.
The task was successfully completed.
Jiang Baiqi couldn't help but release a sigh of relief. His gaze fixed on the computer screen as he fell into deep contemplation. His expression turned blank, his eyes widening as if he had entered a state of daze.
He didn't come back to senses until Song Juyao's voice came through the earphones.
"Thank you." Song Juyao picked up the mechanical dragonfly on the table. It had a wireless communication function, which Jiang Baiqi used to inquire about her situation when she was being harassed by hackers.
Jiang Baiqi didn't say anything; he simply pressed a key on his keyboard, and the dragonfly flapped its wings, ready to fly back.
Song Juyao was taken aback but quickly reached out and hugged the dragonfly.
Jiang Baiqi: ?
Song Juyao, "I don't want to return it. Can I keep it as a gift?"
‘So, after ordering food, you also want to claim my things as your own? Do I really know you that well?’
"Knowing that I can talk to you anytime and anywhere makes me feel at ease. Can you give it to me as a gift?" Song Juyao said again, her soft voice carrying a hint of coquettishness.
The tips of Jiang Baiqi's ears turned slightly red, and he replied coldly, "......Suit yourself. It doesn't have any core technology anyway."
"Mm." Song Juyao smiled happily.
【Sweet!!】
【Just discovered the adorable side of this CP!】
【So weirdly cute!】
【Jiang Baiqi is so doting, his charm suddenly skyrocketed!】
【Oh, Jiang Baiqi is so amazing, I hope he takes good care of Juyao. Mama approves of you two being together now.】
【Wake up, it seems like Song Juyao is still harboring a one-sided love for Jiang Baiqi.】
In the real world, viewers were still buzzing about Song Juyao's suspicion about the world, and as a result, the issue of temporary real-life NPCs had become more and more controversial.
【Honestly, I was shocked when I saw Song Juyao doubting the reality of the world.】
【I felt a chill down my spine. I've watched so many seasons of this show, and it's the first time I've heard someone being judged say something like this. It didn't seem like a joke. It truly feels like a secret in the depths of one's heart has been exposed.】
【Did the production team plan this carefully? Or did they just randomly throw someone in because they had no other way to deal with Song Juyao? There are so many bugs, making the people inside doubt the reality of the world. If the truth behind the live broadcast is exposed, won't they be embarrassed?】
【I already thought it was too rushed to introduce so many temporary real-life NPCs all at once, especially high-ranking NPCs. It's just too hasty, and the plot doesn't add up. Sure enough, Song Juyao has begin to doubt.】
【For the first time, I feel like the production team of this trial show is useless. It gives a sense of desperation, trying anything and everything to find a cure.】
【Now I'm curious if Song Juyao will uncover the truth of the world.】
【I was thinking too much earlier. Even if Song Juyao has doubts, it's at most just doubts. I also doubt my life every day, but you see, I just talk about it. Deep down, I know that this damn world is exactly like this!】
One of the pleasures of watching this show was that the defendants were unaware that they were being watched. They had no knowledge of the reality of the world or the manipulation of their own lives. As a result, viewers experience a god-like thrill. If this illusion were to be shattered, the thrill would be reduced by at least half, which was unacceptable to many viewers.
Furthermore, when Song Juyao made that statement, people subconsciously felt that the seemingly superior and mighty program team was not as powerful as they thought. Prior to Song Juyao's season, people had a thick filter when it came to this show—a high-profile, righteous trial program that questioned the souls of murderers, helped victims' families work through their grievances and treat their inner trauma to find solace. It was an excellent program.
However, since the beginning of Song Juyao's season until now, the show's compulsion and prestige had gradually diminished. Now, there was actually a big bug because of forcibly lowering Song Juyao's status, causing Song Juyao to doubt the existence of the world. This all gave the viewers a subtle feeling.
The program had over a billion viewers and the polarized comments on the show caused a lot of noise. However, its popularity and viewership still continued to rise.
The #SongJuyaoStartingFromZero remained at the top of the trending topics. People were very curious about how she will face her future after transitioning from a life winner to someone who had lost everything due to dirty internal tricks.
......
Upon hearing the news, Ren Yulin called in a flurry and scolded Song Juyao mercilessly.
"You're amazing! How could you not tell me about such a big matter?"
Song Juyao spoke softly, "It's not that big of a deal. The due date is approaching. Please calm down."
"It's not even a big deal?! Have the higher-ups gone mad? How could they suddenly do such a thing?" Ren Yulin's tone was filled with disbelief. God knows when she learned about Song Juyao's situation, she was stunned for a long time. It was so unbelievable that she couldn't even generate anger.
Now, she was furious, primarily because Song Juyao had kept this secret from her for so many days. To make matters worse, her bank accounts had been frozen. Knowing Song Juyao's personality, she was unlikely to borrow money from others, fearing the potential consequences for them. The question lingered in her mind, would this naive girl end up going hungry?
Song Juyao lowered her gaze. "Yeah, I also find it unbelievable."
What repercussions would such an unimaginable event entail? She was eagerly looking forward to it.
Ren Yulin's voice softened as she told her that she was overseas and was approaching her due date, as a result, she wouldn't be able to return to help her. So she wanted Song Juyao to come to her.
"I have a feeling I'll encounter customs issues, so never mind. I'm doing well. I'm earning money, and I've found the person I've been searching for. He's taking good care of me," Song Juyao remarked, stealing a glance at the apartment building across the street. In that brief instant, as her gaze shifted away, a smile formed on her lips, exuding a charming blend of playfulness and bashfulness. Her shy eyes and lowered head, accompanied by the sweetest of smiles, effortlessly captured the hearts of others.
【Aaaaahhhhhhh!!!!】
【Aahhh, I can capture this GIF and watch it a few million times!】
【I'm drunk!!!!】
【Alright, I'm shipping this CP, can I? Can I?】
【Ah ah ah ah ah, so Song Juyao has been looking for Jiang Baiqi early on? Why? Did they know each other a long time ago?】
【This CP is prying into each other's secrets, yet they both know each other well and don't seem to mind it. They even appear to enjoy it... Wait, is it actually kind of cute???】
Jiang Baiqi used the back of his hand to shield his burning cheeks. He felt that sinking feeling again. He took off the earphones from his ears and rubbed them vigorously and eventually placed them back on after a while.
Song Juyao rejected Ren Yulin's offer of help. "I don't want to implicate your family, even if there's the slightest possibility of it, I refuse it. I've earned my position as a member of the Olympic prize team through my own efforts. It's not the status and identity of being on the Olympic team that defines me. I won't admit defeat."
【Well said!】
【Talented people have many ways out】
【I don't understand the mindset of those who think that they can defeat Song Juyao by stripping away everything from her.】
【Her most precious assets are her knowledge and wisdom, not material possessions that can be lost!!】
【I'm touched. Song Juyao is truly inspiring.】
【Stripping her of her status as an Olympic prize team member, preventing her from appearing on variety shows, and freezing her bank account are just the beginning. Do you think these temporary real-life NPCs will stop at one trick? I'll admire her for maintaining this mindset in the face of even more setbacks to come.】
......
Sure enough, the program team took action again.
News of Song Juyao earning money by translating documents online quickly spread throughout the school.
Since the hackers couldn't break through Jiang Baiqi's defense, they had a temporary NPC reveal the matter to prevent Song Juyao from earning that money. It led to an onslaught of people flooding her work account with vile comments, making it impossible for her to continue this job.
Translating online for money wasn't something to be ashamed of, but it inexplicably evoked a sense of pity and shame in the case of Song Juyao.
"That's Song Juyao, reduced to taking online orders and working so hard just to earn this little money? My weekly pocket money is more than what she earns."
"How pitiful......"
"Why does it feel a bit heart-wrenching?"
"Who asked her to offend such a big shot? She's left with no choice, I guess that's all she can do to satiate her stomach now."
"To be honest, I wouldn't mind supporting her... if she's willing to be my girlfriend. But the people she offended are too powerful, and I'm afraid I'll be implicated."
While having dinner, Jin Yu's eyes widened as he read these words, sensing an opportunity for revenge. Song Juyao still hadn't apologized to him, and the mere thought of it made him furious.
His cast had already been removed, and he no longer needed a neck brace. He had reverted to his former self, a tall, handsome guy with neatly combed hair, glasses perched on his well-defined nose and his cold, indifferent phoenix-like eyes.
Determined, he found the landline number of Song Juyao's apartment and dialed. After a few rings, she answered.
"Hello?"
"Song Juyao."
"Who is this...?"
A frown creased Jin Yu's forehead. "Jin Yu."
"Is there something wrong?" Her tone remained unchanged, and he could still hear voices in the background, indicating that she was watching a movie.
"Song Juyao, if you apologize to me, I wouldn't mind helping..."
"Jin Yu, sorry, I'm a bit busy. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up." And without waiting for a response, she abruptly ended the call.
Jin Yu stared at the disconnected phone, veins popping on his forehead.
Why was he so enraged? Why? He couldn't fathom it, but anger consumed him. Was this woman looking down on him? Clearly, she was watching a movie, yet she claimed to be busy. Who did she think she was fooling? Did she think he was a fool?!
Driven by anger, Jin Yu stormed straight to the girls' dormitory.
Ignoring the surprise and excitement of the girls, he headed directly to Song Juyao's floor and forcefully rang the doorbell.
Inside, footsteps hurriedly approached the door in response to the doorbell. Jin Yu watched coldly, already envisioning Song Juyao in disheveled clothing, looking messy and visibly thinner, with a lackluster complexion. But when the door swung open, what he saw was a girl who was no different from usual, still shining brightly.
Holding a cat in her arms and donning a thin white woolen sweater, she wore her long hair loose. With striking red lips, white teeth, and clear eyes, her features remained as distinct and beautiful as ever. At first glance, she resembled an angel wrapped in a halo—breathtakingly beautiful without being overtly seductive, yet immensely captivating.
Jin Yu felt his mind go blank, all sounds and images fading away, leaving only Song Juyao vividly in his sight. From the strands of her hair to the threads on her clothes, everything appeared intensely vibrant.
"Jin Yu?" Song Juyao appeared very surprised.
Jin Yu snapped back to reality. Inexplicably annoyed, his expression became even somber.
"Your face... It's so flushed. Are you running a fever?" Song Juyao grew increasingly puzzled.
"I remember your curse," Jin Yu uttered coldly.
Song Juyao: "...Is something wrong?"
"I heard that you've been struggling for money lately. You were working hard to help those special admissions students, but when you needed help, they couldn't offer any assistance at all," Jin Yu sarcastically remarked.
Song Juyao looked at him expressionlessly. "Did you come here specifically just to say that? I thought you would at least be here to drive me away."
Jin Yu's expression stiffened. He had come to mock Song Juyao and force an apology out of her, but now his words seemed somewhat out of his control. "Don't think of me as so petty. I heard you're doing translations. As an alumnus, I can offer you a job."
"No, thank you. I'm no longer doing translations."
Jin Yu's gaze shifted past her and landed on the computer screen playing a movie. "Watching a movie? Is it related to your new job?"
"I'm looking for the source material of the video."
"What kind of material?"
The program team had resorted to ruthless tactics, blocking off all her paths. She couldn't engage in activities that required dealing with government-related departments. As if this would leave her destitute. She was prepared to show them what it meant to be an indomitable survivor. She had already made her preparations.
"I've had an idea recently..." Song Juyao looked at Jin Yu, blinked, and smiled. "Would you like to see it?"
Considering their unpleasant initial encounter, it was the first time Song Juyao smiled at him. He was taken aback, and when he regained his senses, he found himself already inside Song Juyao's apartment, sitting beside her.
Song Juyao opened a video she had created. Music started playing, and she took out a pair of headphones and placed them on Jin Yu's ears.
Jin Yu was momentarily stunned but quickly found himself captivated by the music playing in the headphones and the visuals on the computer screen.
The video consisted of clips taken from various movies, perfectly synchronized with music that evoked a strong sense of rhythm. The actors' movements on screen were precisely timed to the beat of the music, creating a mesmerizing combination. The intense rhythm compelled one to nod their head and move their body, providing an inexplicable sense of pleasure.
Song Juyao was creating popular synchronized videos for a pop-up video platform. The technical aspect of making such videos wasn't difficult, but the real challenge lay in selecting the right materials, editing them, finding suitable music, and creating smooth transitions. It would be even better if a perfect theme could be incorporated.
For Song Juyao, these tasks were not difficult. Moreover, the most important aspect was that the virtual world didn't have such content. After all, this virtual world had been created years ago, and there were always some omissions in the modeling, making it impossible to perfectly replicate the reality.
As Jin Yu watched the nearly four-minute video, he became completely engrossed. Song Juyao glanced down and noticed that he was lightly tapping his feet in sync, which brought a smile to her face.
Jin Yu turned to look at her and realized his subtle action. His expression tensed. "Nice idea."
"Do you think it would be possible to upload this type of video on your family's video platform?" Song Juyao asked. The Jin family owned the largest comment scrolling pop-up video platform in the country, with high traffic and a constant influx of various videos. It would be a perfect fit for this kind of content. Most importantly, Jin Yu had taken over the family business, and he was in charge of managing this website.
Jin Yu, as the person in charge, had less fear of the government compared to ordinary people and even harbored some hostility. Unless the program team also went after Jin Yu, she was guaranteed to make money from this deal.
The program team wouldn't dare to go after Jin Yu because Song Juyao's remark questioning the reality of the world had surely drawn criticism from many viewers, making the team cautious in their actions.
And as she was the content creator, Jin Yu would pay close attention to this matter, and the people working under him on the website wouldn't be able to interfere. So, how would the program team stop her? The boss who was once arranged to torment me, has become my support. You must be infuriated, right?
Song Juyao looked at Jin Yu with gentler eyes, and her smile grew even more pronounced.